Prodigal Son
by can08writer
Summary: Twenty years after the war with the Saviors, Rick and Michonne's family is thriving, but a drought puts them all in danger. Out of desperation, they leave the safety of Alexandria, to take their chances on the road once again. Will this decision mean their salvation?
1. Chapter 1

**_Author's Note: Hi everyone, I just wanted to let you know that my new username has been changed from can08 to can08writer to match my tumblr profile. This story takes place 20 years after the war with the Saviors has ended, and Alexandria has been living in peace ever since._**

Three months. It had been three months since it last rained. Alexandria had never experienced a drought this long, and everyone watched in despair as their crops slowly withered away. Although there was an emergency store of food in case the town was boxed in by Walkers or people, it wasn't enough to feed everyone for this long. Rations had to be cut into fourths, and the animals were suffering just as much as the people. The ration of drinking water was limited to half of what they should be drinking each day, and bathing was out of the question. And so, Rick found himself standing at the front of the church with the other inhabitants, discussing what their options were until it rained again.

"We can't wait" Rick said, his voice dripping with emotion. "Within a week our water reserve will be completely gone. Gone for us and our animals. If we can't give our horses water, they won't be able to take us out of here when you finally decide to leave. Waiting any longer will _prevent_ us from being able to leave."

"Where are we gonna go, Rick?" Pat, the mayor of Alexandria asked. "There is drought at the Hilltop and the Kingdom too. There isn't water anywhere! Moving isn't gonna help that. If anything, it'll make it worse."

"It can't get any worse" Rick snapped, "at least we can try, instead of staying here and dying of dehydration. There's a lake 40 miles from here, there may still be water there. It's a lifeline to keep us from dying. It's something. I'm not gonna sit here and watch my wife, and children, and grandchildren die."

"If I have to die, I'd rather do it here than out on the road" a woman said, shaking her head. "We'll never make it 40 miles. Not all of us. What about the children and the babies? You expect them to walk that far? You expect us to go out there and bring all our livestock as well? We'll be a walking dinner bell for those monsters."

"If it's all of us we'll have each other's backs. We'll make it! My group got here from Atlanta, only 12 of us and a baby. We did it before, we can do it again."

"We are all aware of what you and the original survivors accomplished so many years ago" Pat said, his voice slightly condescending. "But I don't know Rick, it'll take us days to prepare, and by then we would've used up a lot of our water already."

"That's the point! This town is on its last leg. Either you move now or you die. Those are the only options. Think about your own children. This is the only way!" Rick yelled, his frustration and passion showing through. "This is how we live! "

"My dad's right" Carl said, getting to his feet and turning to face the crowd. "There is no way we can survive if we stay here. I know some of you have lived here your entire lives, but it's possible to survive out there if we leave now. When it rains, when the drought is over, we can come back and continue our lives."

"I'm not moving my family out there. I'm not leaving everything behind to go God knows where. Something will happen here. Rain will come! This plan is not thought out, you don't even know what's out there, Rick, and to take children beyond the gates… it's just unconscionable" a man cut in.

Rick rubbed a thumb under his eye as he did when he was full of emotion. He desperately wanted to convey his point, but he couldn't make these people do something they clearly didn't want to do. He tried to plead with them one last time.

"I know you're all afraid to leave everything behind. But what's important in life is the living. Your family, your friends, even your livestock. The belongings, the houses, all of that will be here when you come back. And even if it's not, we'll find more, we'll _build_ more. But if you stay here, you will not survive. I'm taking my family out of here, we're leaving whether anyone comes with us or not. I won't let my family starve. Anyone who wants to leave with us is welcome. The more, the merrier."

There was a brief silence in the church before Pat broke it.

"Rick, I understand emotions are high right now, but we're not going to have residents just up and leave without preparation. You and your family are needed here, we need you to stay. If you leave it'll incite panic. Others might leave too and be unprepared to survive out there. I don't mean to do this, but, I'm gonna have to insist you to stay" Pat said, nervously rubbing his hands down the front of his jeans. Pat had been mayor of Alexandria for two years, the third mayor in the town's history. Rick was the first. Although Rick was the unofficial leader for years after the war with the Saviors, he was officially sworn in a few years later. Voted in by the inhabitants, he served two terms in a row before stepping down, his physical and mental health taking precedent. He was more than happy to stay home with Michonne and his children, and their three grandchildren, and enjoy the perks of being an old man while someone else took up the responsibilities of leadership.

Rick, Carl, and Michonne all swiveled their heads to look at Pat, and the man's eyes widened. The rest of the crowd in the church went silent. There was silence for a few seconds.

"And I'm gonna _tell_ you I'm leavin'" Rick said, his head tilting to the right.

"Rick…" Pat began, but Carl cut him off.

"My son and I are leaving too" Carl stated, turning towards the crowd, "and so is my sister's family. And you should leave too. We can do this together, on the road."

Judith, who was sitting next to her husband in one of the pews, with her youngest daughter sleeping on her lap, watched the scene noiselessly, but her eyes conveyed emotions that the rest of her family was ignoring. She didn't want to leave. She had had an argument with her parents and brother right before this meeting, pleading with them not to go on the road headed to nowhere. Her parents had tried to convince her that it'd be okay, that they had done this before and they could survive, but she didn't want to hear it. Alexandria was the only place she remembered. It was the only life she remembered. Sure, things were difficult now, but they'd always made a way. She didn't know how to be anywhere else.

 **An hour previously**

 _"_ _You don't know where you're going! What if there's no water in that lake? What then? What if there's Walkers everywhere? Selena's only 2, and Tabitha is 6. Colin is 10 Carl! What about them? And Kaleb? Huh? Dad, this is insane!" Judith yelled._

 _"_ _Judith, the kids can make it. Kaleb has been trained to use a gun, and Colin, Tabitha and Selena can be taught to be quiet, they're smart kids" Carl said, taking a step towards his sister. He knew she was terrified about what they were proposing._

 _"_ _I'm not taking my daughters out there! And I'm shocked that you guys are even suggesting it. Alexandria has always taken care of us. We've had droughts before and we will again. We ration and we make it through."_

 _Michonne placed a hand on Judith's shoulder. "It's never been this long, Judith. Our supplies are already lower than they've ever been. And Alexandria hasn't taken care of us, it's just a town. We've taken care of each other, and we always will."_

 _"_ _Judy, listen to them. They know how to survive out there. They're your family, they wouldn't lie to us about this" her husband, Tony said to her._

 _"_ _So, you're with them?!" Judith screamed at Tony, enraged. "You wanna take our babies out there to get eaten by Walkers?"_

 _"_ _Judy!" he said putting his hand up to calm her._

 _"_ _No! This is insane! You guys are gonna go out there and die!" she said, putting her hands on her cheeks in disbelief._

 _"_ _Judith, the kids will be okay because we will make it that way. We got here with you when you weren't even a year old. We did that when there were even more Walkers out there. We will be okay, but we need to do this. If we stay here, if_ _ **you**_ _stay here, you will die. And I won't have that happen, ever" Rick said passionately, his eyes flashing._

 _"_ _You've already told me the stories dad. Yes, you got here with me and Carl, but how many people did you lose along the way? Beth? Tyrese? How many people did you_ _ **almost**_ _lose? Can you tell me without a doubt we'll all survive going out on the road during a drought with the entire family plus all of our livestock? Can you promise me that?" Judith asked, staring at her father._

 _Rick stared into his daughter's frightened eyes. He'd wanted Alexandria to be a refuge for her. A place where she could be safe and never have to worry about hunger, thirst, Walkers, or dangers from other people again. And he had found that for her. Judith had grown up in a relatively safe world inside of the gates. A world where she learned that staying in the walls meant safety, and venturing outside the walls meant death. And that was what she had taught her children as well. He couldn't be upset when now she was hesitant to go out into what had always meant death. But now, staying inside the walls led to death as well._

 _"_ _I can't promise you that, Judith" Rick admitted, being as honest with her as he could. "I wish I could, but I can't. You know I don't want to leave here either. Alexandria is our home. Its where you and Carl and your children grew up, but it's a death trap now, and it will be as long as it doesn't rain. All I can promise you is I will die protecting you and your family. I will die before you do. That's the only thing I know for sure."_

 _"_ _I will too" Tony said, wrapping his arms around Judith. "I will die to protect you and my girls, but your dad is right. We can't stay here baby, we're gonna run out of water sooner or later, and then what?"_

And so, Judith was sitting in her pew, listening to the townspeople of Alexandria say the same things she was feeling in her heart. But she didn't like what was going down between Pat and her father.

"Rick, I hate to insist, but we're not opening the gates. No one is leaving. We can't be responsible for all of you going out there and dying on the road" Pat said, his voice losing the uncertainty that was in it a few seconds before. "As mayor of Alexandria, I'm enacting a closed gate policy. No one is coming in or leaving until our state of emergency is over."

Judith glanced over at her mother, and their eyes met. Judith tilted her head towards Rick, knowing her father wasn't taking kindly to Pat telling them they couldn't leave. Michonne nodded back. She could see Rick was starting to lose the hold on his temper, and years of marriage taught her that if he went over the edge there would be no stopping him. Although Michonne was 20 years older than she used to be, she still possessed her cat-like grace, and she stealthily stood up and lightly placed her hand on Rick's forearm, instantly calming him down. She then turned to Pat. "You cannot prevent us from leaving. We aren't asking you, we're telling you. We are doing what's best for our family. You don't have to worry about blood being on your hands, because it's our choice. Don't make this into something it doesn't need to be." She said the last sentence more quietly as a warning to Pat.

Pat looked from Michonne, to Rick, to Carl, all of whom were glaring at him, and realized that he wouldn't win this fight. "Okay, I'll open the gates one last time tomorrow. Anyone who wants to go, that's your chance. You wanna go out there and die, that's your business. After that we're not opening them again until the situation is more stable."

Rick rolled his eyes and turned to the people gathered. "If you want to leave, you're welcome to meet us at the gates at dawn. Bring everything important to you, but not too much for you to carry."

XXXXXXXXXX

"Judith, are you okay?" Michonne asked her. They were all in Michonne and Rick's house after the meeting. Carl and Judith's children were playing upstairs in Rick and Michonne's 16 year old son Kaleb's bedroom. Rick, Carl, Judith's husband Tony, and Kaleb were in the dining room, talking about the plan for the next few days. Michonne had been in there too until she noticed that Judith who had gone to the bathroom a while ago still hadn't returned. Michonne left the kitchen to look for her, and found Judith sitting on the bed in the spare room, in the dark.

Judith didn't answer Michonne's question, and silently studied the rug on the floor, so Michonne closed the door behind her and sat next to her daughter on the bed. They were quiet for a while until Judith spoke.

"Someone's going to die, mom."

Michonne turned to view her daughter who's eyes were wide and full to the brim with tears.

"You don't know that Judith."

"I feel that" she said, wiping her face with the back of her sleeve. "This trip, this plan, it's gonna get someone killed. One of the people in my family. Maybe more. And I'm sitting here thinking who I'm able to lose. Who we could lose and the trip would still be worth it. And the answer is no one."

"Judith, if I thought there was another way, you know I would do the other way. I don't want you or your brothers, or my grandchildren in danger EVER. But this is what will save us. There is only death here in Alexandria, and we don't have another option. I know this is scary for you, and I'm wondering if maybe we didn't do everything we could to prepare you for the possibility that you may need to leave…"

"I'm not stupid mom! I'm not naïve. I know how to defend myself. You did teach me. But my daughters, my little brother, my nephew… I don't know if I can defend them. I mean I'll try, but I've never been tested before."

"I know, but your father and I, and Carl, and Tony, all of us have lived outside. We will protect you and the girls. Tony will protect you. I wouldn't have given him my blessing to marry you if I didn't think he would. You need to trust us Judith. We'll find a place that's safe."

Judith shook her head, still not believing Michonne, and a tear dripped down her cheek. Michonne wrapped her arms around Judith's shoulders. "This will be worth it. I promise."

Judith rested her head on Michonne's shoulder. "Mom, there's something else too."

"What is it?" Michonne asked, rubbing Judith's back.

"I'm pregnant again."

Michonne pulled back from Judith and looked into her face. "Are you joking?" she asked, hoping it wasn't true.

Judith shook her head sadly. "Tony doesn't know. I didn't want any more children, but saying you don't want any more doesn't stop it from happening when there's nothing to stop it from happening."

"No wonder you don't want to go" Michonne said softly.

"Yea" Judith sighed.

"How far along are you?" Michonne asked.

"I'm not sure, probably around 4 months. I couldn't tell Tony, I… I know he would want it, but I didn't want it. I was willing it to just go away. But now… now I can't hide it, can I?" she sighed and closed her eyes. "I'm a mess aren't I? Maybe you guys should just go without me."

Michonne put her hands on Judith's face, and turned her head towards her. "You're not a mess. You are my daughter, and you always will be. We will find a way to make this work, and whether you wanted one or not you have a child on the way. My grandbaby. I think you should tell Tony before we leave, but that's between you and your husband. Whatever you choose to do, I will help you get through this Judith. I love you."

Judith wrapped her arms around her mother's neck again, and held her tightly. "I love you too mom. Thank you for not being mad."

"Why would I be mad?" Michonne asked, stroking Judith's hair. "It's okay to be scared. But it's not okay for you to let fear control you, and stop you from making decisions that are best for you and your family. You will survive out there Judith because you're a Grimes. It will be okay, no matter what happens."

XXXXXXXXXX

"So, I get to use my gun now?" Kaleb asked excitedly.

"No!" Carl said, "we already told you, you only use your gun as a last resort, it draws Walkers"

"Duh, I know, I'm not gonna go shooting my gun off for fun, I'm just asking if I'm allowed to use it if I have to" Kaleb said.

"Yes Kaleb, you know how to shoot safely. If you have to you can do what needs to be done to protect yourself. But your main role will be to protect your nephew and nieces. If something goes down, if you get separated from us, or… or we don't make it, and you're left with them, you bring them right back here. You come back to Alexandria" Rick said.

"Wait, but you said if we stay here we'll die. You're telling me, if all of you die I should come back here so we die too?" Kaleb asked.

"Well… do you have a better idea?" Rick asked, genuinely curious to see what his young son would come up with.

"I mean, if there's water in the lake, we can stay there."

"Do you know how to hunt, Kaleb?" Tony asked the boy.

"Well dad taught me how to make traps. And it can't be too hard to shoot a deer, right?" Kaleb asked with a shrug, and an air of haughtiness.

"And what about people?" Tony asked him.

"What do you mean?" Kaleb asked, confused.

"People. Do you think we're the only ones who've thought about going to the lake? What about if you run into people who are already there? What if they're not friendly and don't feel like sharing their water? What if they want to do something really bad to a bunch of kids who they don't think can defend themselves? Are you ready to shoot someone to kill? Are you ready to kill to protect Colin, and Selena, and Tabitha? Huh?" Tony asked, his voice getting higher, "'cuz that's what you're gonna have to do to keep them safe, and if you're not, you need to come back here."

Kaleb looked at Carl. "When you guys were out on the road, before you came here, and dad told you to protect Judith. Is that what you were willing to do?" Kaleb asked Carl, pure curiosity on his face.

Carl nodded. "Yea, that's what I was willing to do to protect my little sister. That's what I did. And when we're out there, that's what I'll do to protect you, and Colin, and everyone else. That's what you have to be ready to do to protect the people you love."

Kaleb swallowed, finally realizing that going on the road wasn't going to be a walk in the park. He ran his fingers through his bushy hair and then pressed his thumb to his eye in the same way his father often did.

"Yea, I'll do it. I'll kill someone if I have to, to protect the people I love. Don't worry, if something happens to you, I'll take care of the kids, no matter what" Kaleb said.

"Good" Rick said, grasping the back of the boy's neck, "I know you will. So, I think we've gone over the plan as much as we can, everyone knows what to pack and how we'll be doing this. This is gonna be our last night in Alexandria in a long while, and maybe our last night to get consecutive hours of sleep too. Let's get the kids to bed and get some rest?" Rick suggested. The family agreed, hugged, and went off to their individual homes to prepare before the big move.

XXXXXXXXXX

The next morning at dawn, Rick, Michonne, and their family met at the gates with everything they owned in the world, and their caravan of horses, goats, cows and several hunting dogs. They met at the gates and quickly realized that no one else from the community was leaving with them.

"They'd rather stay here and die" Carl said to his parents, shaking his head in disbelief, "after everything…"

"They're scared" Judith said, empathizing with the townspeople of Alexandria. She could relate, spending almost her whole life there.

"Mama, is Nathan and Brandy coming too?" Tabitha asked her mother, pulling on her shirt to get her attention. Judith looked down at Tabitha's frightened brown eyes, and knew the girl wanted her two best friends to be safe as well.

"Maybe" Judith said, kneeling down to look Tabitha in her eyes. "Maybe their parents will meet us at the lake, ok? I don't want you to think about that right now. Remember I told you we're leaving the gates?"

Tabitha nodded, her scared eyes locked on her mother.

"And do you remember what you do when you're outside the gates?" Judith asked Tabitha. Tabitha nodded and pressed a finger to her mouth, shushing. "Good sweetheart. You stay quiet and keep an eye out for Selena okay? And if we need to be quiet, and Selena starts to cry, what do you do?" Judith quizzed.

"I'm gonna say shhhh, and put my hand over her mouth" Tabitha rehearsed.

"That's right, and mommy and daddy, and granny and grandpa, and your uncles will keep you safe. Okay?"

"Okay" Tabitha agreed, "But mommy, if we see a monster, can I put my hand over my eyes?"

Judith ran her hand down her daughter's brown curly hair and gazed into her eyes. She knew her daughter was terrified to leave the gates, and with good reason. Judith had to admit she was terrified herself, but she had to face her fears, and so did her daughter if she was to survive.

"No" Judith said softly. "You can't close your eyes, because if you do you won't be able to run away. You will have to keep your eyes open to stay safe. It's okay to be scared, but you still have to pay attention, even when you're scared." Judith held Tabitha's hand and walked towards the horses. She gestured for Carl's son, Collin, and her little brother Kaleb to come over.

"All of you need to hear this" Judith said, turning to the younger children. "If we're suddenly surrounded by a herd, or if we're in trouble in any way, your job is to follow Kaleb on your horses." Judith then turned to Kaleb. "Kaleb, you get them out of there. Don't wait for us, don't check to see if we're okay, don't try to help us. If we're surrounded, you run and don't look back. Run until you're safe. If we're alive, we'll find you. I promise, but you need to be safe no matter what."

"But Auntie Judy, my daddy will make sure we're safe, right?" Collin asked, turning to look at Carl who was having a conversation with Rick, Michonne, and Tony.

"Of course he will" Judith said, smoothing down Collin's hair. "We all will. But all of you have to be big boys and girls, and it's time you do your part to keep _yourself_ safe. Now Collin, you go ahead and get on your horse. Tabitha, Selena, you guys are going to ride Peppermint" Judith said, guiding her daughters over to their short gray pony, who was just small enough for Tabitha to control on her own.

Judith lifted Tabitha on to Peppermint's back, and then placed Selena on the saddle in front of her sister. The girls looked frightened, so Judith gave them a wink and a kiss on each of their foreheads.

"You'll be alright" Judith said with a smile that she hoped looked reassuring. Tony suddenly appeared behind Judith and rested a hand on her shoulder. "Are my girls ready?" Tony asked, looking at his family with a smile.

"Ready!" Selena said enthusiastically, while Tabitha silently nodded her head. "That's my brave girls. Now you listen to instructions and make sure you follow us, alright?" he asked. Both girls nodded. Tony gave Judith a brief kiss on her lips.

"You'll be alright" he whispered in Judith's ear, inadvertently repeating what she'd told the girls.

"I know" Judith said, and squeezed Tony's arm before reaching into a wagon to grab her machine gun. She placed the strap over her head and let the heavy weapon rest across her body.

XXXXXXXXXX

"But Dad, Akisho wants to come!" Kaleb was yelling at Rick. "You said leaving is the only way to survive! Well, if she stays here she'll die. How can you make her stay?"

"Her father isn't leaving" Rick said. "Pat wants her to stay here. He didn't even want _us_ to leave, he's not gonna let his daughter leave with us."

"So, you're gonna let her stay here and die?" Kaleb roared, "just because her father is dumb?"

"Kaleb, we're not going to kidnap this girl. I know she means a lot…"

"Mom! Mom!" Kaleb called Michonne loudly, cutting off Rick. Michonne, who was talking to one of the people at the gates, made her way towards them, her brows knitting in concern.

"Mom, dad won't let Akisho come with us. She'll die here. I can't leave her."

Michonne's eyes slowly met Rick's. She knew that he was right. Even though staying in Alexandria meant that the inhabitants would soon run out of water, they couldn't take someone's child without permission. Even if she was 16. Kaleb recognized the look on Michonne's face.

"You agree with him, don't you!" Kaleb yelled, shocked at the reactions of both of his parents. "What is wrong with you? You know she can't stay here. Having an asshole for a father shouldn't be a death sentence!"

"Kaleb…" Michonne began, but he angrily stomped away, headed towards his girlfriend who was waiting in front of the gates with a packed bookbag and another bag filled with all of her belongings. Michonne watched as Kaleb approached her and threw his arms around her, holding her tightly. Kaleb seemed to be whispering something in her ear, and the couple could hear Akisho moan "no, no… you can't leave me here…"

Michonne looked back at Rick. "Maybe we can take her" Michonne said, her heart softening at the scene.

"I wish we could, but her father doesn't want her to leave. It's his decision, not ours."

"He'll never get over this" Michonne said, watching her son comfort his girlfriend, "he'll never forgive us."

"I know" Rick said, nodding. Both of them knew their son. He was logical and headstrong like Michonne, and extremely protective of those he thought of as family, like Rick. Leaving his girlfriend to die in Alexandria was an event they knew Kaleb would never forget.

XXXXXXXXXX

After a last check to make sure they had everything they'd intended to bring, the Grimes clan was ready. The group on guard opened the gates as the caravan of horses, livestock and wagons made their way through the gates for what possibly could be the last time. There were no goodbyes, or good lucks. The townspeople stayed in their homes either still sleeping, or purposely avoiding the Grimes out of shame.

Michonne was calm and collected on the outside, but inside she was livid. After all that Rick had done for this town, after all that her family had sacrificed, no one even came out of their homes to say goodbye. For the first time, she realized that all the people she truly considered family were on the road with her. Many of the people who had arrived with she and Rick in Alexandria, her _true_ extended family members, had died during the war with the Saviors.

Daryl had died a hero, he had been shot in the stomach by Negan, and still had the strength to set off one of the bombs they'd planted, blowing up himself as well as taking out dozens of Negan's men. Carol had died as well, in King Ezekiel's arms, a casualty of a shoot-out in one of the outposts. Ezekiel was never the same after that, and he died a few months later, many of his people claimed it was of a broken heart. Michonne and Rick also carried scars from the war with Negan, Rick had been shot for the fifth time during the war, this time in the shin, while he was simultaneously healing from the graze he'd received from Jadis. Michonne had gotten her face bashed into the concrete by one of Jadis' trash people, and she still had lasting migraines from the damage she'd received. Maggie had lived at the Hilltop for years, where she raised she and Glenn's son, Hershel. The previous year she had gotten sick with a severe bout of the flu, and after gradually weakening over the course of weeks, she passed away in her sleep and was mercifully ended by her son.

Their extended family had slowly withered away over the years, and Michonne and Rick felt each loss. Tara, Rosita, Eugene, Father Gabriel… each death taxed on their hearts and minds, but somehow, against all odds, Rick and Michonne had managed to stay together and alive. When Michonne had told Rick _we're the ones who live_ , she had meant it, and she prayed that mantra over her children and her children's children. Somehow, the Grimes clan had grown while so many other families had racked up the losses, and others in the town had either admired or hated them for it.

As Michonne trotted away from the town that had become her home, she turned her horse around to take a last look. She had had so many fond memories in that place, but in this world, you always had to be ready for what you had become accustomed to, to come to an end. She could only hope that whatever was next, was better than what had been.

Rick looked back and saw Michonne staring fondly at the gates. He trotted back on his horse, to meet her, and she focused her large brown eyes on his.

"You ready?" he asked, reaching his arm across the space between their horses to grab her hand. Michonne closed her eyes for a moment and breathed out, opening her eyes and then squeezing his hand back.

"I am" she said with a smile, and the two of them turned their horses around and trotted to catch up with the rest of the family, neither noticing a shadow following them through the woods.


	2. Chapter 2

Day one of traveling had gone off without a hitch. They took two breaks to rest the animals, and allow the children to have a nap in one of the wagons. While they stopped, they rationed out water for everyone, but anything left unconsumed was poured back into a container to conserve it. Even the animals' leftover water was recycled and poured back into a container just for them.

As they rode, Collin and Tabitha started up a game of 'I spy', describing things that they'd see along the way, although that game soon got boring when they ran out of trees, the rusted out shells of abandoned cars, and some cows from their herd to describe. The adults were just relieved that they hadn't come upon a single Walker so far. It gave them hope that it was possible to get to the lake without incident.

In the late afternoon, an hour or so before sunset, they began looking for a place to make camp and settle down for the night. To their luck they came across a burned out carwash. The fire that had once raged inside the building had blown out the windows and doors, but it was the only upright structure around, and if it was safe on the inside it would be better than sleeping out in the open.

Michonne and Tony volunteered to go inside and check it out while the others waited patiently and kept a look out. Michonne squinted into the dark building, Tony right behind her with his knife raised. She banged on the wall three times, and the vibration sent some ashes falling from the partially crumbling ceiling. They waited and listened for movement, but when there was none Michonne stepped into the doorway, Tony flanking her, and together they moved silently through the abandoned building. They were careful to step over the knocked down display racks and torn up floor boards inside the store. Once they cleared the store and were sure there were no Walkers, Tony went to check out the indoor car wash bay, while Michonne scavenged for any useful supplies. To Michonne's amazement, there were some supplies that hadn't been burned, they had been saved by being locked into a steel storage closet. She found 10 car seat covers that could easily be turned into sleeping bags or blankets, or even covers for the wagon to protect someone from the sun. She found plastic containers full of engine oil that was an easy source of fuel or could be used to start fires, some car cleaning supplies, expired batteries, some containers of instant coffee, and tea, and the most amazing find, two packages of sealed 20 packs of water bottles.

Michonne nearly shouted in joy before catching herself.

"Hey Michonne, look at this!" Tony called from the back, and she squeezed herself through the store area and made her way to the section once made of glass, where patrons were able to watch their cars go through the automated car wash. Even though the glass in that area was blown out, and the machines that once spun their fluffy tendrils over the cars to clean the dirt off had been burned away, it was a large open area that was relatively safe.

"If we get rid of the glass and debris, we can bring the animals in here for the night. It'll keep them safe from Walkers and night predators, as well as lower the smells and noise around this area, and make it less conspicuous that we're in here. If the store area is safe, we can sleep in there."

"Yea, if we clear out the debris in the store we can set up tents and stay there, while the animals also sleep inside. Good thinking Tony" Michonne said, patting him on the back proudly, "and wait 'till you see what I've found!"

XXXXXXXXXX

Rick, Carl, Tony, and Kaleb began to work on the car wash, clearing it of debris and glass, while Michonne, Judith, and the kids kept watch outside the store, and made sure that the animals were okay. Michonne was sitting on top of a wagon, a shot gun resting in her lap, when she noticed one of Tony's hunting dogs perk up, it's ears pointed towards the woods. Michonne snapped her fingers to get Judith's attention, when the dog began to bark to alert them that it heard something. Michonne stood up in the wagon and aimed her shot gun at the section of trees where the dog was focused on, when the dog took off into the woods.

"Butch!" Judith yelled at the dog trying to call it off, "Butch, come!". But the dog did what it had been trained to do, and ran after whatever was in the woods, the two other hunting dogs following behind.

A few seconds later, Tony burst from the store. "What's going on? Why's Butch barking?" he asked the women.

"They ran off into the woods after something. They must've heard a sound or picked up a scent" Judith explained.

"I'll get them" Tony said, running into the woods after his dogs.

"Wait!" Judith yelled after her husband, "Wait Tony!", but he was gone just like his dogs, although the women could still hear the dogs barking in the distance.

"He can't be out there by himself. Stay here, watch the kids" Michonne ordered, before hopping off the wagon and also taking off into the woods. "Mom!" Judith screamed, her heart racing in terror for her mom and husband.

Michonne sprinted through the woods as fast as she could, dodging fallen trees and uneven terrain. As much as she didn't want to admit it, she was an older woman, at least for this world that they lived in. Although she was in excellent shape, her 59 year old knees and back weren't happy about running full speed through the forest. She could hear the dogs' barking getting louder as she got closer, and she spotted Tony pointing his gun at a patch of bushes a few feet away. The dogs were growling and pacing in front of the bushes, but Tony had ordered them 'back', and they were patiently waiting for a command. Michonne cautiously approached, her katana at the ready. She could immediately tell they were dealing with a person or an animal that was hiding, not a Walker.

"We know you're in there" Tony said commandingly, "come out now or you'll have to deal with my dogs' teeth, or my bullets."

The bushes rustled slightly, and the dogs barked and growled until a young girl with straight black hair and a long oval face stepped from inside of them, her hands in the air. Tony and Michonne immediately lowered their weapons, and the dogs stopped barking. It was Akisho.

Seconds later, Rick and Kaleb burst through the trees behind them, guns drawn.

Akisho's eyes were wide with fear, but she was also looking down at the ground in embarrassment.

"What the hell?" Rick asked in shock.

Akisho began to speak quickly. "I'm sorry I alarmed you all, I know you didn't want me to come with you, but I couldn't stay there. I _won't_ stay there. Everything that you said at the church, I know all of that is true. I knew if we stayed any longer we wouldn't be able to leave 'cuz we don't have the water to leave, and I couldn't just stay there and die, even if that's what my dad wants. And… and I figured if I take my chances and follow you maybe… maybe if you found me you wouldn't send me back. And anyway, I won't _go_ back. And you don't have the water to spare to _take_ me back there anyway, so we have to keep going now right?"

Everyone stared at Akisho in shock and silence. Michonne turned to glance at Kaleb who was smirking at his girlfriend, but as soon as he realized Michonne was watching, his smirk quickly disappeared.

"You knew about this didn't you?" Rick asked Kaleb, his eyes flashing. Kaleb, knowing what was best for him, kept quiet.

"You could've put her in danger. Having her traveling behind us, anything could've happened!" Rick yelled.

"No Mr. Grimes. I wasn't in danger. I know how to protect myself, and take down Walkers. I was okay. I even traveled this far without alerting you I was there. Imagine how long I could've gone if you didn't have dogs? I just want to come with you and your family. And Kaleb. I'm old enough to make my own decision. I'm not a child. And I know that this is best for me."

Rick's face was red and his forehead was wrinkled. He turned towards Michonne, his compass whenever he didn't know where to turn. She always led him the right way.

"Does your dad know?" Michonne asked Akisho.

"No. I mean… he does _now_."

"Did you bring food and water? Supplies?"

"Yes Mrs. Grimes. I have enough for myself for 4 days, and I can stretch the rations if I have to. I have a gun with extra bullets, and a knife, and a sleeping bag. I will be no trouble for your family" Akisho said, her shapely dark brown eyes staring into Michonne's confidently.

"She's made it this far, mom. Please?" Kaleb begged.

Michonne looked from Kaleb to Akisho. She couldn't send this girl back home to her death. Not after she already escaped, and followed them for a full day. She admired the girl's spunk and resourcefulness, and saw some of herself at 16 in her. Plus, Akisho wasn't the type to go back home if they sent her anyway, and Kaleb wouldn't have it. Kaleb was stubborn enough to run off with her if they sent her away.

"You can stay with us" Michonne decided, "but you have to listen to what we say, no running off."

"Yes ma'am" Akisho said, nodding quickly, her shoulder-length hair bouncing. "Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Grimes. I promise you're not making a mistake."

"Kaleb, come here for a minute" Rick said, turning his back and walking away, expecting his son to follow him.

Kaleb gave a quick nod to Akisho, and then walked quickly to catch up with his father, who walked a short distance to get out of earshot of Michonne, Tony, and especially Akisho.

"Did you know she was followin' us?" Rick asked, staring at his son.

Kaleb looked down at his shoe, over at a tree to the left, and then back at his father again. "I… um… yea. Yea dad. I told her to. But leaving her behind was wrong. She'll die there, and you know it."

"She could've died out here on her own"

"She wouldn't've. I told her to yell if she was in trouble. I would've heard her."

"How long would you have had her following behind us before you told us she was there? We could've shot her by accident! Anything could've happened."

"Dad nothing happened…"

"Only because the dogs found her first."

"She knows how to handle Walkers!" Kaleb said, his voice raising.

"You put her in danger!" Rick yelled. "You put her in direct danger, and I'm not talking about just Walkers. There are people out here too. People that would do all kinds of things to a young girl on her own. People who would do things that you couldn't imagine. I haven't told you all the stories, everything that happened to us on the road. I never told you how many people I've had to kill to keep this family safe. I've ripped a man's neck out with my teeth to protect Carl and your mom. Bob, a friend of mine, some people we came across took him, cut off his leg, and ate it in front of him! Beth, she was kidnapped and taken to another city and forced to work for people as their slave. Things are not the way they were inside the gates, and it's not safe for anyone to be out here alone. Especially when no one knows they're out here."

Kaleb stared at his father in shock with his mouth slightly open. Rick realized the magnitude of the information that he was sharing with his son, but he knew that his son had to know it, and really _hear_ it. He had to realize how much danger he was in every second he was out here.

"Everything that I've done in the past, everything that we've gone through? It was so you wouldn't have to be out here. This is dangerous and it's not a game, and I know you just wanted to save Akisho. I understand that son, and I'm proud of you for trying to do the right thing. But I also need you to think wisely, and listen to wise advice. You're 16 now. You're a man. A _young_ man, but a man nonetheless, and I'm gonna hold you to the same standard that I held Carl to at your age. Akisho is out here because of you. It's your job to protect her."

"I will" Kaleb said quickly, nodding furiously. "I will. But… but she can take care of herself dad. And I know what I asked her to do was dangerous, but she's alive. And she's with me so I don't regret it. And I understand if you're disappointed in me, but I promised I would do whatever I had to do to make sure the people I loved were safe, and I mean it, because I love her dad."

Rick stared at his son, and the corner of his mouth inadvertently lifted in a brief smile. He nodded his head slightly and his eyes softened. He wrapped his hand around the back of Kaleb's neck, gripping the slight curls that the boy had around his neckline.

"You know, you remind me of me at your age" Rick said fondly, "C'mon, lets get back to the car wash. It's gettin' dark."

XXXXXXXXXX

The dangerous debris and glass that littered the inside of the car wash was quickly cleared out, and the family herded the animals into the small space that was the car bay. The horses were separated from the cows and goats by a few display cases, and the dogs were allowed to sleep in the storefront area with the family.

Although the storefront was still filthy with ash, dust, mildew, and mold from two decades or more of disrepair, it was just as dirty as sleeping outside, but more safe. Each family unit set up tents in the middle of the cleared out storefront, and they set a small fire in the woods behind the store where the tree growth was thickest. They saved the bottled water Michonne had found, for an emergency when they couldn't boil water to purify it, and they boiled water from the containers they had brought with them. They made some tea with the teabags that Michonne had found, and although there was no sweetener, the kids enjoyed sipping on peppermint flavored water.

They ate a small meal of apple slices, using up some of the perishable rations that they had taken with them from Alexandria, as they would only last a few weeks before rotting. Carl brought up the idea of roasting the apples over the fire, and the kids enjoyed cooking their own apple slices, the heat causing them to taste even more sugary like candy. Tabitha cooked both hers and Selena's slices as Selena watched impatiently. Carl demonstrated proper apple cooking technique to Collin, which made the boy laugh loudly when Carl was so distracted worrying about his son's apple that he charred his own.

"Now you have to eat it dad. We can't waste food, remember?" Collin joked, shoving the charred apple slice towards his father's mouth.

"You're really gonna make me eat that?" Carl asked, pouting. "Eat it! Eat it!" Collin yelled loudly in his excitement.

"Eat it Uncle Carl" Tabitha demanded, she and Selena clapping in eagerness. Suddenly, Carl remembered that they were outside and couldn't be too loud.

"Shhhh" Carl said, putting his fingers to his lips, his whole demeaner changing as he strained to hear if the noise had attracted any Walkers.

The children all froze in fear, wondering why he was suddenly so serious. Carl, realizing he had scared the kids and ruined the playful mood, reached over and bit into the charred apple slice that Collin was still holding out, causing all three children to burst into laughter.

"Deee-sgusting" Carl said as he chewed the burned and crunchy mush in his mouth. "Okay, it's time to go inside and go to bed" Carl ordered, ushering the reluctant children into the darkened building. Judith was inside with a few candles, and she led Tabitha and Selena to the tent that her family would be sleeping in, while Carl led Collin to his tent. The siblings tucked their tired children in to bed and kissed them on the forehead, before gathering just outside the car wash door to discuss the watch schedule while Akisho and Kaleb sat together on some boxes inside.

"Okay, we can change shifts every 3 hours, we have enough people to do that, so we can get as much sleep as possible." Rick, realizing Akisho and Kaleb were missing, stuck his head into the building, and waved his hand, signaling the teens over.

"The two of you want to be treated as adults, so we're going to give you adult responsibilities" Rick said sternly, "You'll be part of the watch schedule too."

Both of them nodded, looking forward to being taken seriously.

"Okay the 8-11 watch will be Kaleb and Tony. 11-2 will be Judith and Carl. 2-dawn will be Michonne and myself. Akisho you will be on the watch shift tomorrow. When one person comes in to wake up the next shift, one person stays outside to keep watch. If there is anything suspicious or you need help, just call out or do a bird call. Any questions?" Rick asked. Everyone shook their heads. The family all headed inside except for Kaleb and Tony who climbed on top of the wagon that they left outside to get a better vantage point. Although Kaleb was excited about his new adult responsibilities protecting the group, he was nervous too. He had never shot at anyone with his gun, alive or dead. He had done target practice on trees and inanimate objects and was a pretty good shot, but never on something moving or actively dodging him. He only hoped that if he were ever tested, he would make his family, and Akisho, proud.

XXXXXXXXXX

 _"_ _I know what's happening" Enid said softly, looking down at the newborn who was nursing in her arms, "I know."_

 _"_ _Nothing is happening" Carl said, running his hand down the side of Enid's pale face. "The midwife said that bleeding is normal, we just need to get it under control. She said that nursing the baby should help, and rest, and taking the herbal teas she's been giving you, and letting her do those uterine massages. She said that will help the uterus to contract…"_

 _"_ _I know" Enid said again. "I feel myself getting weaker, Carl. It's not gonna work. I can feel it. But I don't regret anything. Never. A piece of me and you will always be together in him. Forever… "_

 _"_ _Don't say that!" Carl said. "Don't think like that. You have to fight. Look at our son. Fight for him."_

 _Enid sleepily looked down at their baby boy. "He's so beautiful" she sighed, a tear falling from her cheek. "We have to name him."_

 _"_ _What are you thinking?" Carl asked as he stroked his son's hair._

 _"_ _Collin? That was my dad's name. Collin Carl Grimes?"_

 _"_ _Okay, if that's what you want. His name is Collin."_

 _Enid snuggled backwards into her pillows. Having a conversation seemingly tired her out._

 _"_ _You can go to sleep" Carl said, removing Collin from his mother's breast. "Close your eyes and go to sleep, I'll be right here honey."_

Carl jolted out of his dream violently, and he was unaware of his surroundings for a few moments. He could feel his son stir slightly in his sleep, subconsciously sensing his father's movement and unease. Carl slowly relaxed and leaned over to observe his son. The boy's sandy brown hair that was falling wildly over his face, the small brown freckles across his nose, and his round chubby face and pouty lips that looked exactly like his mother's. Carl couldn't help but smile.

 _A piece of me and you will always be together in him. Forever._

Carl moved closer to his son, and cleared his hair away from his face. He leaned over and planted a kiss on Collin's forehead. Just as he was laying back down to attempt to get more sleep, Kaleb was at the entrance to his tent.

"Good, you're awake" Kaleb said softly, "It's your turn for watch."

XXXXXXXXXX

"So how are you doing out here so far?" Carl asked Judith softly, as they sat on the top of the wagon together.

Judith shook her head as she glanced out into the darkness.

"Terrified" she admitted. "I'm terrified of us getting to the lake and there's no water. Or there's too many armed people there and we have to leave, or losing someone along the way. I'm terrified of all of that. But… but now I realize that we had to leave. This is the only way. I get it now, and even Akisho realized that before me, and I'm kind of embarrassed."

Carl silently listened to his sister, and he could tell she wasn't finished speaking.

"But you know what I'm most scared of?" she asked, so quietly that he almost couldn't hear her.

"What?" he asked, turning his eye towards her.

"I don't want to be the weak link in the Grimes chain. I mean, even Kaleb is stepping up, and I want to too. I have to, to protect my girls."

"You won't be a weak link" Carl said, placing his hand on his little sister's shoulder. "It's impossible, because you're a Grimes."

Judith let out a chuckle at that, and the two of them smiled.

"How are you doing?" Judith asked.

Carl sighed and turned away from Judith slightly, peering into the darkness harder than he had before. "I had a dream about Enid" he said, letting the words float away on the breeze.

Judith tilted her head slightly to the side as she glanced at her brother, pity filling her heart. It had taken Carl so long to get over Enid's death a few days after Collin's birth, and she knew that it was harder for him, partly due to what had happened on the day she was born as well.

"I haven't had a dream about her in a long time, and maybe I'm dreaming about her now because I fear for Collin's safety. Or… or maybe it's her trying to tell me that it will be okay?" Carl let out a frustrated sigh. "I… I don't know."

Now it was Judith's turn to place a hand on her brother's shoulder. "I'm sure if Enid could see you, she'd be proud of how you've raised Collin all on your own. _I'm_ proud of you for doing that. I think about what I'd do if I lost Tony and had to raise Tabitha and Selena on my own. I don't think I'd be able to handle it."

"You would. You're stronger than you know. In some ways you're like Lori, you don't realize how strong you are until you get tested. Lori did one of the bravest things I've ever seen, and even though Michonne is our mom, Lori is our mother, and the blood that she had is running in you too."

"Yea" Judith said, shrugging her shoulders. "Well, I hope we never have to find out."

XXXXXXXXXX

When Judith came to wake her parents up for their watch shift, she wasn't surprised to find both of them awake already, laying in their tent with their eyes open.

"Don't you guys sleep?" she asked playfully, as she headed over to her tent to lay down with Tony and her daughters.

The older couple made their way out to the wagon and dismissed Carl who told them that everything had been quiet so far. Rick climbed up on the wagon and reached out an arm to pull Michonne up. In her younger years, Michonne would have no problem hopping up on the wagon besides Rick, but her knees weren't what they used to be.

They sat back to back in the wagon, to get various angles, but they still were connected by their bodies touching.

"Did you manage to get any sleep?" Michonne asked Rick.

"Nah, couldn't. I guess I was just on edge about everything."

"Yea, me too" she agreed, stretching her neck from side to side. "It's so different out here now, I mean compared to when we were on the road. There are less Walkers around, that's a good thing. But… it's also wilder, you know? Like all the cars, and houses, and even the dead bodies and skeletons that used to be around are just gone. In a few decades, there may be nothing left of how humanity used to be."

"Yea" Rick agreed. "Is that good or bad?"

"I don't know. It's just different. I never thought we'd be out here like this again. I guess I just, let my guard down."

"Yea me too. We all did. But we can do this" Rick said confidently, "We will do it."

The couple fell into another comfortable silence until Michonne broke it. "Judith's pregnant again."

Rick snapped his head around to Michonne so fast the wagon shook. "What?" he asked, "are you joking?"

"No. She is. That's part of the reason why she was fighting so hard not to come out here."

"Why didn't she say anything earlier?" Rick asked.

"I guess she's Lori's child" Michonne said with a smile, and Rick let out a loud laugh, quickly placing his hand over his mouth to control his giggles. "It wouldn't've changed anything if we did know" Michonne continued.

"Does Tony know?" Rick asked, his voice suddenly getting deeper.

"I don't know, but it's not your place to tell him."

Rick shook his head. "He should know he's gonna be a father again. I know what it's like to find out after the fact. It… it doesn't feel good."

"I think Judith will tell him, when the time is right" Michonne said. "She's a smart girl."

There was another long silence, and in the distance the two of them could hear something howling, either wolves, feral dogs, or coyotes.

"What's your plan if the lake is dry too?" Michonne asked, changing the subject. Rick slumped over slightly.

"Honestly, I don't have one. I'm putting all my eggs into one basket. I'm hoping and praying that there's water there, but if not, we're screwed. That lake is the largest water source for miles, and if there's nothing left there, there's nothing left anywhere."

Michonne rubbed her eyes in frustration, and then moved her hands to the back of her neck and rubbed the base of her skull.

"How are you feeling?" Rick asked, recognizing the signs of Michonne being in pain.

"I'm fine" she said, but they had been married so long that he didn't even have to ask.

"You had a migraine today didn't you?" he asked.

"Yea" she admitted. "While we were on the horses. I didn't want to say anything because there was nothing we could do about it."

"Is it better?" Rick asked.

"It's just a slight headache now" she said dismissively. She secretly hated that she still had after effects from the fight with that junkyard woman so many years ago. "How are you feeling?" she asked him.

"My shin was hurting a little today, but no more than usual" he replied, subconsciously massaging the most recent bullet wound he had on his body. "You know, we're getting too old for this shit" Rick stated, causing Michonne to giggle loudly.

"Speak for yourself old man" Michonne laughed, "I'm still 32 and will continue to be indefinitely"

"Yes ma'am" Rick replied amusedly.

XXXXXXXXXX

As soon as the sun began to lighten up the sky, Rick moved to wake up his family, while Michonne kept watch. They gathered up all their supplies and animals, and left their temporary shelter behind as they continued in the cool morning air. They were making great progress, the lake was only a day or so away, if the weather stayed cool like the way it had been. Higher temperatures would slow them down, as the horses and cows would get overheated quickly.

The family made a few uneventful miles until the afternoon heat began to pick up, exactly what Rick didn't want. They stopped off the side of the road to get some shade and take a water break. Michonne and Judith were on watch as everyone else took a brief reprieve. Selena was chasing around one of Tony's hunting dogs, and Tabitha was drawing pictures in the dirt with a stick. Kaleb and Akisho were sitting next to each other under a tree, holding hands and whispering quietly. Carl was showing Collin how to clean a gun as Tony looked on, and Rick was collecting the animals' left over water, to pour back into the container for future use. Suddenly, Michonne called "Walkers!"

Rick nearly dropped the water he was collecting, but he grabbed the bucket just in time, although some of the water did splash to the ground. He, Tony, and Carl were already on their feet, looking towards where Michonne and Judith were pointing. It was a small herd, seven walkers, slowly making their way towards the group.

"Get on your horses!" Judith yelled to the children, who were frozen in horror at the sight before them. When they didn't move, Judith yelled, "Kaleb! Get them!".

Kaleb was frozen in terror at the small crowd of what looked like people coming towards him, but his sister's voice snapped him out of it. He grabbed Tabitha and Selena, swinging each girl up on to Peppermint's back, and untying Peppermint from the tree he was attached to. He looked for Collin, but Akisho had already grabbed him by the hand and hoisted him up onto his own horse.

Rick, Carl, and Tony had just reached the herd and they began hacking the Walkers to pieces. Michonne climbed off the wagon to join them, but by the time she made it over to them, they had destroyed the small group, leaving the rotted, dried out bodies to decompose.

The children were completely silent as they stared, the youngest ones staring from the backs of their horses, and the teens staring from their spot in the middle of the road. Even Judith was staring, with a blank look on her face.

"And _that's_ how you deal with Walkers" Carl said with a chuckle, relieved that it was only a small group. Carl, his parents, and his brother-in-law turned to walk back to his still staring family. He knew they had never seen Walkers killed before, but he didn't expect them to be _this_ surprised.

"You guys okay?" Rick asked, as he noticed Judith wasn't even looking at them. She was staring beyond them with her mouth hanging open, shaking in terror.

"Go!" she screamed to her children, who were still on their horse.

Rick, Carl, Michonne, and Tony spun around to see what Judith was talking about, and as far as the eye could see there were Walkers emerging from the woods ahead.


	3. Chapter 3

**I know it's been a while since I've updated, so this is what happened previously on Prodigal son:**

Rick, Michonne, their son Kaleb, Carl and his son Collin, Judith and her husband Tony and their two daughters Tabitha and Selena all left Alexandria due to a severe drought. They are headed to a lake where Rick believes there may be some water, since Alexandria will run out of water very soon. They tried to convince other Alexandrians to come along, but none of them were willing to leave their homes. Kaleb's girlfriend, Akisho, snuck out of Alexandria, followed them, and met up with the family on the road. While on the road, they encounter a large herd of Walkers, taking the family by surprise.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 _Tony paced up and down on the porch of Rick and Michonne's house. He had been there for five minutes, and was trying to work up the courage to actually knock on the front door. He knew they were both home, he had made sure of it, and he had hyped himself up enough to get there, but having the nerve to get them to open the door? That took balls._

 _Tony took a deep breath, and ran a hand through his short dark brown hair._

 ** _You have to do this. She's worth it. And what's the worst that could happen? Rick won't kill you… right?_**

 _Everyone in Alexandria knew how protective Rick was of his family. Especially his daughter. Rick had allowed Tony to get closer than most of the boys in town, but with strict and unbreakable rules._

 _No leaving the gates with my daughter, no coming to my house when I'm not home, my daughter cannot visit your house when your mother isn't home, and if you hurt her I will hurt you._

 _The rules were simple enough, and effective, as Tony had developed a healthy fear of both Rick and Carl, and surprisingly an even greater fear of Michonne. The first time he had met her she was sitting at the kitchen table sharpening her katana with Kaleb in her lap. Tony instantly realized that she wasn't a woman to be trifled with. And the fact that she was slightly less vocal than Rick added to her mystique._

 _He had been dating Judith for 10 months, and followed Rick's rules to a T, always being sure that he brought her home before dark, and that he treated her with all the respect due to her. And Judith deserved it. Tony knew from the first time that he saw the brown eyed, blond haired beauty that she was special. She was smart and funny, and although she wasn't quite as hardened as the rest of her family, she carried a toughness in her that he respected. He'd never told her, but he had fallen in love with her on their first date, a picnic by Alexandria's pond. He had made a joke, and she laughed so hard that she snorted, and he thought it was the most adorable sound in the world. He had decided in that moment that he would do what he had to do to make her his wife, and after 10 months of dating, he was ready to make that a reality._

 _Taking another deep breath, Tony raised his fist and knocked on the front door._

 _"_ _It's about time" Michonne whispered to Rick. Both of them had been watching Tony psych himself up for the past 5 minutes on their porch, and finally the boy had knocked._

 _"_ _Be nice to him" Michonne warned Rick, while placing her katana on her back. "We've side eyed him for 10 months and he's still around. He loves her, y'know."_

 _"_ _Yea, I know. That's what I'm afraid of" Rick said softly, before adjusting his gun belt, grabbing the door handle, and swinging the door open._

 _Tony's eyes widened at the sight of Rick in front of him with his hands on his hips and a deadly stare on his face._

 _"_ _Um… good morning Mr. Grimes" Tony started._

 _"_ _Judith isn't here right now" Rick said._

 _"_ _Uh… yea… I know that. I um… I came to talk to you, and Mrs. Grimes…"_

 _"_ _About what?" Rick interrupted quickly._

 _"_ _Come in" Michonne said, her voice a little more polite than Rick's. Tony nervously glanced at Rick as he stepped past him into the house and stood awkwardly by the doorway, unsure if he should walk into the house further or stay where he was. The couple looked at him expectantly, and he nervously shoved his hands into his pockets and raised his shoulders to his ears before he began._

 _"_ _Um… hi Mr. and Mrs. Grimes. I uh… I wanted to talk to you about Judith. I mean, Judith and I. Both of us." Tony stopped and tried to gage the feeling in the room. Rick was staring as if he wanted Tony to leave as quickly as possible, and Michonne was slightly less hostile, but she looked confused. Neither spoke, so Tony took his hands back out of his pockets and continued._

 _"_ _We, Judith and I, we've been dating a while, and um… and I really like her. And I think she really likes me. And Mr. Grimes, when I first met you, you gave me those rules, and it's been 10 months, and I think I've followed those rules. And I wanted to know… um… I wanted to ask…"_

 _Michonne suddenly knew what Tony was about to ask, and her stomach dropped. She knew that he and Judith were serious, but Judith was only 16 years old, and Tony was 20. In the old world, their relationship would be frowned upon if not illegal, but in this world, Judith was old enough to make her decision. Carl and Enid had done as much, and by the age of 16, Carl had more than earned the title of adult. But Judith was different, she was more naïve and innocent then Carl had been allowed to be, and Judith was Rick's baby girl. Michonne knew Tony had to be pretty damn convincing if Rick was going to agree to let his daughter go._

 _"_ _I wanted to ask you if I could ask… ask Judith to marry me… I wanted, I wanted your blessing."_

 _Rick froze and his eyes narrowed. He stared Tony down even more than he had already been. He didn't speak, but his body language spoke louder than any words. There was an awkward silence for a few seconds and Tony shakily wiped his hands on his jeans before he cleared his throat and continued._

 _"_ _Mr. and Mrs. Grimes, I know you know that I love Judith, and I would never do anything to hurt her. I want to spend whatever time I have in the future with her, and I'll do whatever I have to do, and prove anything that I have to prove in order for you to be okay with this."_

 _"_ _You're twenty years old" Rick stated. "Judith is sixteen, a little girl. You're_ _ **both**_ _too young, but she… she's just a teenager..."_

 _"_ _Sir. I know Judith is younger than me" Tony interrupted, "but she has always been responsible enough to make her own decisions. I just ask that she have the opportunity to decide if she wants to marry me too. And if you think she's too young right now I'll wait. I'm not going anywhere. I'll wait until you think she's old enough to decide. I love her. There's no one else for me" Tony said, finding the courage to look Rick in the eye._

 _Michonne looked from Tony to Rick and back to Tony. She could tell Tony loved Judith by the way he'd treated her for the past 10 months, and she knew Judith loved Tony as well. She'd told Michonne multiple times when Michonne asked about their relationship. But Rick was also right too. Judith was young, and had never dated anyone else but Tony. But she also felt that Judith was old enough to make this decision about her future, without the adults in her life deciding for her._

 _Michonne walked up beside Rick and placed a hand on his back to calm him down. Rick and Tony both turned to look at Michonne, Tony taking a tiny step back._

 _"_ _Tony, my husband and I need to talk. Wait here" Michonne said softly, but her eyes conveyed to him that it was in his best interest to shut up and let her do her work. Tony nodded and took another step back, as Michonne led Rick into the bedroom so they could talk privately._

XXXXXXXXXX

"Kaleb, get them out of here!" Judith screamed at her little brother.

"But…" Kaleb began, completely stunned. He knew what he was supposed to do, but he couldn't believe that the time had come for him to actually do it.

Judith hopped down off the wagon, refusing to look at the approaching Walkers until her children were out of the area.

"You promised! Get out of here!" she said, shoving Kaleb towards his horse. Kaleb took another backwards step, and then turned to Akisho. "Come on!" he said, grabbing her arm and pulling her away. The two of them quickly mounted his horse who suddenly smelled the incoming horde of Walkers and whinnied nervously.

"Collin, Tabitha, let's go!" Kaleb said, taking charge.

"Mommy!" Selena called from on top of Peppermint the pony, her eyes wide. Tabitha had the reins, but she was hesitating to move the horse forward, not wanting to leave her parents.

Judith slapped Peppermint's behind, causing the already scared pony to take off down the road. Kaleb and Akisho, and Collin followed behind on their horses. Once Judith was certain the children were on their way down the road, she forced herself to focus back on the largest herd she had ever seen. The dead were staggering forward at a snail's pace, but there were so many of them she was sure they were done in.

Michonne had run to her horse and expertly mounted it within seconds, forgetting about her bad knees completely. "Judith, take the wagon and get the animals away!" Tony yelled at her, as Michonne galloped off towards the herd, her katana held high, glinting in the sun. Carl and Tony ran behind her on foot, their knives at the ready.

Rick knew Michonne already had a plan, and being married to her for twenty years, he knew how she thought. He and she could've communicated a whole strategy just by body movements and gestures alone, but seeing as though Carl, Tony, and Judith were there, and the trio weren't privy to Rick and Michonne's secret language, it was best that they were verbal.

"Judith, herd the cattle down the road fast. We'll distract this herd and try to lead them in the opposite direction, then we'll meet up with you and the kids" Rick yelled as he ran after his wife who had already cut down three walkers as she flew past them on her horse.

Judith turned towards the frightened animals, some who had been slowly inching away from the rest of the herd, skittish from the threat staggering towards them. Judith jumped into the wagon that was still hitched to a horse, and whistled at the dogs to help round up the cattle. They began to circle the herd of cows and goats, nipping at their ankles to push them forward. The livestock quickly got the message and began to trot away after the kids who were now out of sight.

The Walkers were drawn to Michonne's horse, but she skillfully maneuvered out of the reach of their hands, as she swung her katana to decapitate the Walkers that got too close. Rick, Carl, and Tony, flanked Michonne, trying to knock the Walkers' heads off with single blows to conserve their energy and give Judith enough time to get a head start with the animals.

These Walkers were nothing like the ones that existed when Rick and Michonne were living on the road. Some of the Walkers were literally skin and bones, barely standing, their skeletons showing through their bodies. Most were dried out from the drought, just like the plants and brush that surrounded the road. Their skin was leathery and hard from the sun, making it difficult for them to raise their arms to reach for the living. Their desiccated knee joints barely bent, making them walk with a stiff legged gait which would almost be comical if there weren't so many of them.

The four warriors worked together silently, hacking and slashing at the dead that just kept coming. They had to move backwards now and then, just to get out of the way of the stacks of bodies and heads that were laying at their feet, blocking the road.

"Did Judith get the animals out of here?" Michonne asked, unable to turn around and lose focus because of the many Walkers in close proximity to her. Rick backed up behind Michonne's horse and then turned to glance back at his daughter and saw that she was halfway down the road, still prodding the livestock to keep moving away.

"Yea they're leavin'. In a few minutes we can start leadin' the herd back into the woods. Then you can lead them off a few miles with the horse and then circle back."

"Watch the sides, they're starting to surround us" Carl yelled, noticing that Walkers were approaching them from the woods on their sides.

"Back up! We need to back up again!" Tony called, and the group took a few steps backwards to keep the hungry Walkers ahead of them. Rick looked backwards again and could no longer see Judith on the road.

"Okay, Judith is out of here, let's start leading them into the woods before we get too tired" Rick suggested, his arms burning from swinging his hatchet back and forth for minutes.

"We all go left, once we're deep in the forest I'll whistle and draw most of them towards me. You guys finish off the stragglers and I'll take the bulk of them a few miles, speed off, and then circle back and look for you down the road. Same thing we did with the mega herd. You go find Judith and the kids" Michonne quickly directed as she swung her katana like a golf club, beheading a Walker whose head was already haphazardly attached to its neck.

Rick felt anxiety when hearing Michonne's plan. He trusted her completely, and knew that his wife was a force of nature and could take care of herself, but he couldn't help but worry about her handling a herd this size by herself.

"C'mon, there's a gap in the Walkers!" Michonne yelled suddenly, "let's go now! Go left. Quickly!"

The men sprinted into the woods as Michonne brought up the rear on the back of her horse. The Walkers were slow, and within a few minutes, the group had a sizeable lead ahead of the herd.

"Okay, you all hide here, and I'll draw them in the opposite direction" Michonne reminded, pointing at a patch of bushes she found suitable for them.

"You… you sure?" Rick asked.

"Yes Rick, come here" Michonne demanded. Rick walked up to her horse, and Michonne quickly leaned down and pecked him on the lips. "Be right back" she said with a wink, and then she prodded her horse forwards, whistled loudly to draw the attention of the front of the herd, and then trotted away from the direction Judith and the kids had gone.

Rick quickly dove behind the bushes and waited with Tony and Carl.

"Will she be alright?" Tony whispered, since there were Walkers within a few feet of them.

"Yea" Carl and Rick said simultaneously, sharing an amused look. The three of them crouched in the bushes for another 10 minutes until the slow-moving Walkers had thinned out enough that they could stand up. Rick gestured with his gun in the direction that they came from, and they headed back towards the road, taking out straggling Walkers that could follow them back to the children.

When they finally reached the road, all that was left of the herd were the beheaded bodies and body parts of dozens of walkers. The trio picked their way through the massacre, stepping over or kicking the heads that were still snapping and growling from their spots on the ground.

"I hope Judith caught up with the kids by now" Tony said, "I think she'd take them off the road a-ways and wait for us."

"You're right" Carl said, "she'll take care of them."

"Michonne will…" Rick began, but suddenly Tony's foot slipped on the face of one of the Walker's heads, turning his ankle to the side awkwardly, and causing him to fall backwards on to a pile of the bodies.

"You okay?" Rick asked, while Tony quickly rolled off the pile and scrambled to his feet.

"Yea, man _that_ was embarrassing" Tony laughed, brushing off his pants. Rick and Carl smiled as Tony pulled his pants leg down slightly, when he noticed a little spot of blood on his ankle. He pulled the pants leg up slightly higher to study the spot when he saw a semi-circular row of red dots, like teeth marks on his ankle.

"No!" Tony said angrily, rubbing at the marks on his leg. "No, it can't… it can't be!" he said again.

"What is it?" Carl asked, but Rick immediately knew. Tony had been bitten.

"How? What the fuck!" Tony screamed, and he turned back to the pile of Walker parts he had fallen into. There, on the top of the pile was a single severed head that was snapping and growling at them.

"Fuck you!" Tony yelled, lifting his knife and stabbing it into the Walker's face. "Fuck. You. No! No!" he screamed loudly.

"Tony!" Rick called, trying to calm the young man down. "Tony just… just calm down. There's Walkers…"

"No!" Tony screamed, tears coming to his eyes. He bent down and lifted the leg of his pants, glancing again at the semi-circle mark from the Walker's teeth, and the new blood that was trickling from the wound. "Oh God no" he whispered.

Rick came over and wrapped an arm around Tony's shoulder. "It's okay, just… just try to stay calm. We're gonna find Judith and the kids, and we're gonna have to take that foot off, but you'll survive. You're gonna live Tony. Okay? You'll make it through this."

Tony began to sob, leaning in towards Rick's shoulder. "I just tripped, that's it. I just fell. How could this happen? My girls… Judith… I can't leave them."

"And you're not going to" Rick said, "C'mon, we're gonna find your girls and then we'll take care of this."

Carl moved closer and gently rubbed Tony's back. "It's okay man, you'll be okay. My dad has done this before. You're gonna survive. No one's leaving."

Tony didn't respond as Rick put his arm around one of his shoulders, Carl putting his arm around Tony's other shoulder, and the two of them helped him walk down the road. Although his bite was small and not a devastating wound, after half a mile of walking, he had a noticeable limp.

"How's it feelin' Tony?" Rick asked after a while. Tony didn't answer as he stared straight ahead.

"I'm sure they didn't go too far, we'll find 'em soon. And Michonne should catch up with us in a little while. She can take you on the horse so you don't have to walk on that ankle."

Rick's attempt at reassurance fell on deaf ears, as Tony stared blankly into the distance. The men continued onwards, an uneasy silence settling between them.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Okay, it's far enough" Kaleb decided, pulling his horse to a stop. The rest of the small caravan also stopped short, the horses whinnying nervously.

"Let's get off the road, and um… and hide in the trees. Walkers won't be able to see us, but we can watch the road." Tabitha and Collin followed Kaleb in directing their horses into the forest on the side of the road, the bushes and tree branches scratching against them as they squeezed through the small gaps between the trees. After moving a few feet off the road, they all dismounted from their horses.

"What do we do now?" Collin asked his uncle. "Where are they? Are they coming now?"

"What if they can't find us?" Tabitha asked.

"I want mommy and daddy!" Selena whined, on the verge of tears.

"Shhh!" Kaleb hissed, silencing the younger kids. "You need to be quiet. We'll all be in trouble if the Walkers hear us. They will find us, but until then we need to watch out for each other. Collin, take out your knife. You and Akisho are gonna help me on watch. Tabitha, you keep Selena quiet."

"I don't wanna be quiet!" Selena said loudly, "I want mom…" Tabitha quickly put her hand over Selena's mouth. The two year old struggled briefly and her sister whispered "if you're quiet I'll move my hand, but you have to be quiet Selena, it's time to be a big girl. Mommy and daddy will be so proud of you if you're a big girl. Okay?"

Selena looked from Collin, to Akisho, to Kaleb to see if she could get out of this somehow, but the others were just watching to see if she'd be quiet. Selena slowly nodded, and Tabitha moved her hand from Selena's mouth and wiped it on the side of her pants.

They watched and waited silently, every creak, bump, or animal call setting them on edge. Kaleb and Akisho felt the burden of being the oldest, especially Kaleb who had agreed to take on the job of keeping his nieces and nephew, and girlfriend safe. When he'd agreed to that he was certain he could, but now that reality set in, he was terrified. He was now responsible for four other human beings. Protecting them against a world full of dead cannibals, wild animals, opportunistic people with no conscience, and the elements.

After 20 minutes of waiting, with no sign of the adults, Kaleb began to shake with the weight of his responsibilities. Akisho, who had been silent for the majority of this recent crisis suddenly appeared at Kaleb's side, and planted a kiss on his cheek, and then rested her head on his shoulder, her hair brushing against his skin. Although she didn't say anything, she spoke loudly with her gesture.

 _I'm here to help you. You're not alone._

Not dropping his guard, or moving his gaze from the distance, Kaleb reached towards his shoulder, and grasped the side of Akisho's head, caressing her face. He was so glad she was here.

Another ten minutes passed and the children were getting restless, and bored. Kaleb was surprised Selena had stayed quiet for this long, and Tabitha was taking her job at keeping Selena quiet very seriously. She had pulled her little sister on to her lap and was rocking her side to side in an attempt to make her take a nap. She must've seen her parents comfort Selena that way before.

Kaleb glanced back at Collin and watched the ten year old blankly stare into the forest. He couldn't imagine what his nephew was going through. The kid had already lost his mother, and now possibly his father too. Kaleb was too young to remember Enid well, but he did remember the depression his brother was in for years after her death. He remembered Collin asking Carl questions about his mom and why she wasn't there anymore, and Carl choking up or being unable to speak. After a while Collin just stopped asking.

Kaleb wanted to comfort the kids somehow, but he didn't know what to do. He was freaking out himself.

"You hear that?" Akisho asked, lifting her head from Kaleb's shoulder. He sat up straight, listening for what she was hearing.

"Sounds like... like the wagon!" Akisho said, sneaking towards the tree line to get a closer look, with Kaleb right behind her. He was relieved to see a herd of cattle noisily making their way down the road, followed by their wagon of supplies steered by Judith.

"Mommy's here" Kaleb announced to the girls, who happily leaped from their spots and ran to get a glimpse. Even Selena was fully awake now.

"Where's dad?" Collin asked him, looking around to possibly spot his father. Kaleb felt weak. He didn't even know where his own mother and father were.

"I think... I hope they're okay. We can ask Judith when she comes a little closer okay?"

When Judith spotted the kids on the side of the road she leapt out of the still moving wagon, raced to her daughters, and picked them up, spinning them around happily. After she was done squishing her girls, she kissed Collin on the head, patted Akisho on the shoulder, and then smothered her brother with an all-encompassing hug.

"Thank you Kaleb, for real, thank you so much little bro" she whispered in his ear. Kaleb was surprised, he was closer to Judith than he was to Carl due to the large age gap between himself and his older brother, but he had never heard so much love and gratefulness from her before.

"No problem" he said quickly, attempting to control his emotions. He was just glad he wasn't completely in charge anymore.

"Where is everyone?" Kaleb asked Judith.

"I don't know" Judith said, glancing down at her girls who had attached themselves to her legs and wouldn't let go.

"They told me to run, so I went to find you" she admitted. "When I looked back I just saw the four of them hacking heads off the Walkers. I'm not sure where they are now. But I… I think they're okay. Maybe they'll be here soon."

Kaleb nodded, and wrapped an arm around his nephew, who looked like he might cry. "If I know anything about Carl, he knows how to survive out here. He'll be okay Collin" Kaleb reassured, but inside he prayed that it was true.

XXXXXXXXXX

Judith crouched in the woods with the children, her rifle resting against her knee. Kaleb and Akisho were watching their flanks while Judith kept an eye on the road, waiting for her husband, brother, father and mother to come back for them. The sudden appearance of Walkers had shaken her to her core. She knew that it was dangerous coming out here. She knew the risks. But she had hoped that they'd make it to the lake with no incidents, and the first day out had been deceiving. It had given her hope. It had made her relax ever so slightly. And now, everything could be gone. She thought about what she'd do if her family never made it back. If she never saw them again. She didn't think she could do it alone. She barely was holding it together now. If she had to protect these children as the only adult, she knew she'd fail.

 _You're not like the rest of your family. You're weak._

Those words of doubt swirled around her head, causing her to move her head from side to side, cracking her neck. Something inside of her had always made her think she wasn't good enough, even though her mother and father had always tried to build up her confidence. Carl was the battle-hardened firstborn, her parents' pride and joy. Kaleb was the only baby that her parents had had together, and that cemented him in their hearts forever. But where did she fit in? She was the only girl, that was true, but what did she have that they'd be proud about? She wasn't the strongest, or the fastest, or the bravest. She knew that she wasn't Michonne's biological daughter just by looking at her mother. And once, when she and Carl had a particularly nasty fight, he'd told her that she wasn't Rick's biological daughter either, causing her to run to her father in tears and demand the truth.

 _"_ _I don't know" he'd said after grounding Carl for a month and screaming at him so badly that the whole house shook. "To be honest Judy, I don't know if you are. There were some things that happened with your mom, and it could go either way. But you know what? That doesn't matter. Because in my mind, and in my heart, you're my daughter, and you always have been. I love you more than anything Judy bee. You're my little girl, blood or not. Just like Michonne is your momma, blood or not. Just like Michonne is Carl's momma, blood or not. Just like Carl and Kaleb_ _ **are**_ _your brothers. It's your heart that makes you a family, not your blood."_

Carl had since apologized for telling her that information in anger, and she had believed Rick when he'd told her that, but deep in her heart she had never truly felt like she belonged. She turned and glanced back at her daughters who were petting the hunting dogs, keeping them calm. When Tabitha was born, it was the first time that Judith felt like there was someone who was hers. Someone who shared her blood and was a part of her. She adored her daughters, and she always believed they were the best thing she'd ever done. And now there was a new little one, growing inside of her every day, and she feared for it. This world was unforgiving and harsh, and they weren't guaranteed another second of life.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the clod of horse hooves. "Hey!" she whispered, getting the children's attention. She figured it was her family, but you could never be too sure. She crept closer to the end of the woods while signaling for the children to stay back. As she looked in the direction of the sound, she recognized Michonne's horse, a brown mare, trotting towards them. Carl and Rick were walking a short way behind the equine, while Michonne sat behind Tony on the horse's back.

Judith already knew something was wrong. Why wasn't Tony walking with Rick and Carl? She walked out of the woods ahead of the arriving group so they knew where she was. The horse trotted up to Judith and the look on Tony's face made her go cold. He was crying.

"What?" Judith asked in a panic. She had never seen her husband cry before. Not even when he had almost severed a finger while helping to extend the walls around Alexandria. What could he possibly be crying about? Everyone was back, in one piece, alive. Why was he crying?

"What is it?" Judith asked Tony, as Michonne slid off the horse behind him, and then held out her arm to help Tony down. Rick and Carl began to run towards the group so they could help get Tony somewhere to start the amputation.

"Tony, what is it? What happened?" Judith asked again, her voice shrill with panic.

"I'm so sorry baby, I'm so sorry. I just slipped, it was an accident. And I… oh God" Tony sobbed, as his daughters made their way from the forest to greet their father. They stopped short when they saw the total despair on the adults' faces.

"I'm bit baby, I'm bit. On my ankle."

"What!?" Kaleb asked in shock.

"Kaleb, move the wagon over here, we're gonna need to do the surgery on it so we don't have to move him afterwards. Akisho, start a fire now, as hot as possible. Collin, you sit with the girls in the woods, keep an eye on the livestock. Don't let them come out here, no matter what you hear. Go! We need to do this now!" Rick commanded, but everyone stared at him in shock.

"A Walker bit him?" Kaleb asked softly, Rick's words not penetrating his brain.

"Does that mean my daddy is a Walker?" Tabitha asked, tears welling up in her eyes. Judith knew she should say something to comfort her daughters, or comfort her husband, but she couldn't speak. She couldn't think. Her mind replayed the same two words on repeat. _I'm bit._

"Dammit, Akisho, fire! Collin, woods! Now!" Rick yelled in frustration, as no one seemed to be moving. Michonne ran off to get the wagon herself, since time was of the essence. Rick and Carl held on to Tony as they walked him towards the wagon. He still was limping a little, but he was capable of walking.

Judith stared after the three men, still not uttering a word. Once Michonne pulled the wagon up closer to the men, they lifted Tony into it as gently as possible. Selena's wails of _daddy_ snapped Judith out of her shock.

She turned around to her daughters and quickly kneeled in front of them. "Go in the woods with Collin and stay with the animals. Daddy will… daddy will be okay. Go on now."

Collin stepped forward and wrapped his arm around his cousins' backs. "C'mon, we gotta keep the cows calm" he said softly, and Judith gave him a proud nod, as he escorted the girls into the woods.

Judith then focused her attention to the wagon where her husband was laying down. Akisho and Kaleb had finally moved, Akisho frantically using matches to set a bundle of dried grass on fire, while Kaleb gathered dried sticks and twigs that lined the road. Taking a deep breath, Judith approached her husband.

XXXXXXXXXX

 _"_ _A 20 year old guy wants to marry our 16 year old daughter? Hell no!" Rick said angrily as soon as Michonne closed the door behind them. His hands were on his hips as he paced back and forth across the bedroom floor._

 _"_ _So, it's the age difference that you don't like?" Michonne asked calmly._

 _"_ _Well… yea! He's too old and she's too young. And that's that" Rick said, still pacing._

 _"_ _They're four years apart, the same age difference that we have", Michonne said matter of factly._

 _"_ _Well we didn't meet when you were 16!" Rick threw back at Michonne._

 _"_ _What age would be old enough for her to decide?" Michonne asked, her voice as calm as a lake on a windless day._

 _"_ _I don't know, 18, 19!" Rick said, stopping and leaning against the room's windowsill._

 _"_ _And what don't you like about Tony?" Michonne asked._

 _"_ _I didn't say I didn't like him" Rick said, crossing his arms. "I just said he's too old to marry her"_

 _"_ _But you were okay with them dating?"_

 _Rick sighed and squinted his eyes at Michonne. "I was never okay with him datin' her. I didn't want anyone to be datin' her…"_

 _"_ _And that's what it boils down to Rick" Michonne interrupted. "You don't want anyone to date her. You don't want anyone to show interest in her. It has nothing to do with Tony, or Judith, or age, or anything else. You don't want to let your little girl grow up. Carl was her age when he married Enid. You didn't seem to have a problem with that."_

 _"_ _Carl is… he's different. It's not the same situation. And you see what happened to Enid…" Rick began, but abruptly stopped when he realized what he was about to say._

 _"_ _What happened to Enid won't happen to Judith. They're two different people, and you shouldn't stop her from living life because you're scared."_

 _"_ _So obviously you want to let him marry Judith then" Rick said, shifting uncomfortably._

 _"_ _No" Michonne said simply. "But I think she's wise enough to make that decision for herself. He loves her, and she loves him, Rick. I can see that, and you can too. He'll do right by her. He'll protect her. And if she's not ready, or she doesn't want to marry him, he'll accept that. You have to let her grow up Rick" Michonne said, stepping forward and placing her hand on Rick's cheek. "I know it's hard to let go of a child, but if you keep them a child forever you're not doing them any favors. Let her grow, Rick. Let her decide for herself. And trust her decision."_

 _A few minutes later, Rick and Michonne emerged from the bedroom. Tony had placed himself on the edge of the couch, and as soon as they appeared he nervously leaped up._

 _"_ _My husband and I have discussed what you asked us. Look… we like you Tony. You have been nothing but respectful to Judith, and I know you care deeply about her" Michonne began. Tony's heart beat faster and he began to sweat. He had never been so nervous in his life._

 _"_ _I like you, but I love my daughter" Michonne said, taking a step forward and looking into Tony's eyes. "How do I know you'll take care of her the way she deserves? How do I know you're the man for her?"_

 _Tony swallowed harshly at Michonne's proximity. She was an intimidating woman, but he knew he couldn't back down now._

 _"_ _Mrs. Grimes, I love your daughter too. Judith is all I think about all day. I wonder what she's doing, and when I'll get to see her next. When I'm with her, I feel… I feel like that's what I'm supposed to be… with her. I don't mean to be rude, but you can tell me I can't ask her to marry me, and I'll respect that, but you can't stop me from being with her, and loving her. The only thing that can stop me from that is her telling me she doesn't want me anymore. Only she can do that."_

 _Michonne narrowed her eyes at Tony, and he literally held his breath. He was trying to be confident, but the couple before him were like the royal family in their community, and he had the nerve to tell them that he was going to love their daughter whether they wanted him to or not._

 _There was silence for a few moments, and then Tony realized that Michonne's mouth was slowly turning up into a smile. When he saw her eyes soften he took a breath that he didn't realize he needed. Michonne began to nod slowly._

 _"_ _She deserves the chance to choose you. The decision is hers, but if she does choose you, you have our blessing" Michonne said, nodding. Tony exhaled deeply at Michonne's words, and he flicked his eyes towards Rick who was staring at him. Although Rick's expression was unreadable, it didn't seem hostile, or happy._

 _"_ _I promise, I'll take care of her" Tony said to Michonne, but his eyes met Rick's again, silently pleading for the man to believe him._

 _"_ _I know" Michonne said, nodding._

XXXXXXXXXX

"Can I… I need to talk to him" Judith said to Michonne, Rick and Carl who were frantically buzzing around Tony, moving supplies, preparing their meager water stores for sterilization, and prepping a makeshift surgery area on the back of the wagon.

They all stopped what they were doing and turned to look at Judith. The blood had drained from her face, and she and her husband were staring at each other as if everyone else had left already.

"C'mon, we can give them a minute" Carl said, carefully hopping off the back of the wagon. Rick and Michonne followed suit, giving the couple their privacy.

Judith climbed up into the wagon, and wrapped her arms around Tony, who was propped up against some boxes of supplies.

"What happened?" she asked, her voice breaking.

"I tripped, that was it. I tripped and a Walker's head bit me on the ankle. It's not even a bad bite. It didn't rip me open, or bite my arm off… I… I'm so sorry baby."

"Don't be" Judith said quickly. "Don't be. It wasn't your fault. Okay… we can…we can get through this" Judith said, wiping her arm across her forehead. "Daddy knows how to do this, he did this for his friend Hershel. They're gonna take that foot, but you'll get through it. You'll be okay…"

"Judith" Tony interrupted.

"…maybe we can find some crutches or a wheel chair. I can look for some pain-relieving herbs…"

"Judith" Tony said more loudly, placing his hand on her arm. "I'm not gonna let them do it."

"Do what?" Judith asked, completely confused.

"I'm not gonna let them cut my leg off. The whole ride back here I was thinking about it, I was thinking how can I leave my family? How can I die from something so stupid, so meaningless? This isn't how I imagined myself going. But the last and greatest gift I can give you and the girls is the gift of making sure you get to the lake. Making sure the three of you live and go on. Even if it's without me."

"What? Tony what are you talking about?" Judith asked.

"If they cut my leg off, they're gonna have to use at least a day's ration of water to sterilize everything. They're gonna have to use all of our medical supplies to control the bleeding and wrap up this huge wound, and I may just bleed to death anyway. And we have no antibiotics, I will probably get an infection. I'll die within a few days, and traumatize our daughters…"

"You don't know that!" Judith said.

"I do. I don't want to go through that. I don't want to spend my last days unconscious, or in a delirium, not being able to help protect my family, not knowing what's going on. This wound isn't bad. I can walk on this. If I don't cut my foot off I can be of help for a day or so, I can help protect you and get you to the lake, and then, I can die, and it'll be my choice. And I'll know I did everything I could."

"Tony no" Judith moaned, tears running down her face.

"Judith please. This is my choice. This is my gift. You and the girls are all I'm living for, let me do this for you."

Judith sniffled and buried her face into Tony's chest. Tony leaned down and kissed the top of Judith's head. "I don't want to leave you, but if I have to, this is how I want to."

Judith cried into Tony's shirt a little while longer while his words were slowly being absorbed into her brain. After a few moments she took a deep breath and fought to control her tears. "I understand" she said, gazing into his eyes, her voice shaky.

He nodded, and the corner of his mouth turned up slightly.

"I'm pregnant" she spoke softly.

Tony smiled a bright smile, as tears ran down his face. He placed his hand on Judith's face and caressed her cheek with his thumb.

"I know."

 **Author's note** : Thank you so much for your reviews! I appreciate them all and you guys help me to develop my stories and make them even better so please keep them coming. I apologize for the long gap between chapters. I got caught up writing 'Birthday Times Three', and then I was very busy, but I promise I will finish this story and 'The Greater Good' eventually. Thank you for your patience and readership.


	4. Chapter 4

"Come here girls" Tony said to his daughters, gesturing with his arms for them to come closer. The two girls walked closer to the wagon where their parents sat above them. The couple's legs hung off the back end of the vehicle, their mother's arms wrapped around their father's waist as if he were a balloon that would float into the sky at any moment. Judith moved away from Tony, creating a small space between them on the back of the wagon. The children moved as close to the wagon as they could, and then Judith reached down to lift Tabitha onto the back of the wagon into the space between them, as Tony lifted Selena onto his lap.

Tony blinked back tears as he gazed at his wife and daughters, unprepared for what he was about to say.

"Girls, uh… ahem… girls, daddy has to tell you something" Tony began, holding on to Selena a little tighter. Tabitha's eyes were wide as she stared at her father. "Um…" Tony, at a loss for words looked to Judith for comfort. Judith, seeing that her husband needed her to be strong right now, spoke for him.

"Daddy is sick" Judith announced to her daughters. "He… he is going to get sicker. And… and he…"

"He's a walker?" Tabitha asked.

Tony let out a small chuckle, and reached out to stroke Tabitha's curly brown hair. "I'm not a walker, Tabby... But… I'm not going to be here with you for as long as I'd like."

"Where are you going?" Tabitha asked.

Tony let out a sigh as tears began to drip down his cheeks.

"Don't cry daddy" Selena said, wiping his tears away.

"Okay, I'll try not to" Tony said, nodding to his daughter. "I'm just very sad, because I don't want to leave you."

"I'll come with you" Selena offered.

"I wish I could stay with you baby" Tony said, snuggling Selena closer. He cleared his throat again and took a deep breath, steeling himself to let the words leave his mouth. "I'm going to die" he revealed to his daughters.

Tabitha stared at her father for a few seconds, and then looked to her mother for clarification. Tony nodded at Judith.

"Daddy got bit by a walker…" she said, her voice breaking with emotion, "and it's going to make him sick. And it's going to make him die. He won't be with us anymore" Judith confirmed.

"No, I want daddy to stay here!" Selena said, throwing her arms around her father's neck. Tabitha looked on silently, her eyes welling up with tears. Judith pulled Tabitha closer to herself and wrapped her arm tighter around her daughter's shoulder.

"Why?" Tabitha asked her father, her lip trembling. "Why do you have to die?"

"I don't have a choice Tabby. That's what walkers do. When they bite someone…" Tony's voice cracked, and he sniffled a little and cleared his throat to stay strong for his devastated daughters. "When they bite someone it makes them sick, and then they die. But… but you're gonna be okay. You girls, and mom, and your grandma and grandpa, and your cousin, and Uncle Carl and Kaleb, you'll all be okay because you're gonna go to the lake and there's lots of water there, and you'll be safe there. And I'm gonna get you girls there. That's what I want to do. You'll all be okay, even without me." Tony looked to Judith with a nod, trying to stay strong in the midst of his sorrow, and Judith managed to turn her lips upwards into a small smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Daddy will be with us for a while, and then he won't" Judith started, "and we'll be sad… and we'll miss him. And… that's okay because…" she stopped, not knowing how to finish the sentence. Even she didn't know why it would be okay if her husband died.

"Because you'll be with Auntie Maggie, and Aunt Tara, and Aunt Rosita, and everybody else who died. Right daddy?" Tabitha asked Tony.

Tony let out a sound that was a mix between a sob and a laugh. He smiled and opened his arms so both of his daughters could snuggle safely in them. He squeezed them both tightly as if he never wanted to let them go.

"That's right Tabby. I'm gonna be with everyone else who died, and we're all going to watch over you and keep you safe. When I die, you won't see me anymore, but I'll always be with you, okay? And you can always talk to me when you need to, just like you can now."

"Will you hear me?" Tabitha asked.

"Yes honey, I'll hear you. And even if you can't hear me, I'll answer you. Daddy will never leave you, okay?"

"Okay daddy" Tabitha said, giving her father another hug.

XXXXXXXXXX

Although not everyone agreed with Tony's decision, everyone understood it was his decision to make. Tony explained the situation to the adults, and then encouraged them to get the animals together and continue their journey forwards. Water was their lifeline, and every delay that they had meant more of their water supply had to be used.

Carl, Rick, and Michonne studied the map they had used to plan their route to the lake.

"We're here" Michonne said, pointing to their location on the map, "but that herd is between us and the lake. I led them into the forest over here, but if we keep following our original route we may run into them again."

"So, we have to go around that forest" Carl said, rubbing the stubble on the side of his face.

"It'll take at least an extra day to go around it usin' a highway route. It's our safest bet to follow the highway where our wagon can roll easily. If we take a shortcut off the road, there's no tellin' where we might get stuck" Rick said.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Baby, you should sit in the wagon. Rest at least" Judith pleaded with Tony.

"Judith" Tony said patiently, "I'm not gonna sit here and do nothing. You don't want me to walk on this ankle, so if I'm gonna sit, I'll at least steer the wagon. That is literally the least I can do. I need to be useful until I'm not".

"If you do more it'll spread through your body faster... Please Tony, just relax" Judith begged.

"Baby, I can't. I can't" Tony emphasized, leaning in closer to Judith. "If I'm idle I'll just think about it. It'll be worse. Please, let me help where I can."

Judith took a deep breath and nodded, tilting her head slightly to the side, her blond hair bobbing as she moved. Tony leaned in and kissed her neck. "Thank you, baby. Bring Tabby and Selena, I want them to ride up here with me."

The family set off again, on high alert. One of their own had already been bitten, and the danger of this trip was now clear.

For hours they traveled through the desolate roads and highways which were full of potholes and washouts due to 20 years with no human maintenance. Some parts of the highway were now completely covered in weeds and grass that had fought their way through the blacktop, chipping at the stubborn hard blackness until the highway was transformed into fields of green.

In the late afternoon, a few hours before sundown, they came across a scenic outlook stop, off the side of the highway. The small rest area overlooked a cliff, and the family stopped to peer down into the canyon below. Although no one said anything, Michonne could sense the hopelessness that was beginning to set in with her family. The setting sun highlighted the landscape below them, which was dry and barren, the heat and lack of water sucking the life out of the vegetation. They were on a hill that towered over the landscape, and they could see fields and clearings for miles. A few of the tallest trees still were green, but most were brown and wilted, and there was no sign of running rivers or streams.

"Just because it looks bad here doesn't mean there's no water anywhere" Michonne cajoled, "We just need to keep moving in the morning".

Carl nodded and placed his hand on Collin's head. "C'mon Collin, let's go clear the Welcome Center before sundown."

"Really?" Collin asked, perking up immediately. He had never cleared a building before.

"Sure, you just listen to me, and if I tell you to run you run, okay?" Carl asked, rumpling the boy's already messy brown hair.

Collin nodded, and the two of them set off to the building, while Rick, Kaleb, Akisho, Michonne, and Tony (with a small protest from Judith) checked out and cleared the area around the small building.

Carl approached the Welcome Center with his knife drawn, and Collin close behind him with his gun drawn as well.

"Take the safety off" Carl instructed his son. Collin shakily clicked the safety off of his gun. "Remember, when the safety is off, you always point the gun down and keep your finger away from the trigger. You only bring your gun up when you're ready to fire."

"Okay" Collin said, nodding.

Carl approached the glass doors of the center that were amazingly intact and locked after years of being abandoned. He knocked on the door loudly and waited for any wandering Walkers inside to make their debut. After two minutes of waiting, Carl judged that if there were any Walkers inside, they weren't free to roam around.

"When we go inside, you stay behind me" Carl instructed Collin. "We make sure each room doesn't have Walkers anywhere before we move to the next. We check every closet, and every door. If there is a Walker, you stay behind me and let me handle it. If there are too many Walkers you run. And if you can't run, and you have no choice, what do you do?" Carl quizzed Collin.

"Shoot for the head" Collin recited, he and Carl had had this conversation before, but he never had to put his knowledge into action before.

"That's right, shoot for the head. That's my boy. Okay, you ready?"

Collin gulped nervously and then nodded his head. Carl firmly rammed the glass door with the handle of his axe, and the glass cracked. He reached his arm through the cracked glass and unlocked the door with ease, and they entered the main room of the welcome center. Carl held his knife at the ready as he stepped into the darkened lobby. Desks and chairs were neatly arranged around the room, covered in layers of dust and mildew that had been undisturbed for decades. Collin stayed close behind his father with his gun pointed downwards, and he was sure to walk in Carl's footsteps. Carl marched forwards, scanning right to left, but hearing and sensing no movement. He slowly moved his hand with the knife downwards. He was sure there were no Walkers in the lobby.

"Clear" Carl said softly. "Now what do we do?" he asked Collin.

"Search for useful stuff" Collin replied.

"Okay, you look in those desks over there, and I'll look in these" Carl said. Collin nodded and jogged over to one of the desks.

"Put the safety back on your gun" Carl reminded him, and Collin gave a sheepish look before doing as his father said. Carl opened the desk drawer in front of him and quickly combed through the normal office odds and ends. Pencils and pens, paper clips, tape, various papers, and then the jackpot, maps of the nearby area as well as towns a few miles away. He stuffed the maps, as well as the office supplies into his bag, and then moved to check on Collin.

"Find anything?" Carl asked.

"I got some mints, but it looks like a mouse or something chewed on it" Collin said, holding up the offending candies.

"Yea, not worth getting some sort of disease from" Carl said with a chuckle. "Anything else?"

"Nothing useful. But look dad" Collin said, holding up a picture of a man and his son holding up a fish with a snout so long it was the size of the little boy. "What kind of fish is that?" Collin asked.

"Looks like a swordfish" Carl said, moving closer. "Yea, definitely."

"You think there'll be swordfish at the lake?" Collin asked.

"No son, you only find them in the ocean. But maybe there'll be other types of fish there."

"What if… what if there aren't any fish in the lake? What if there's no more water like everywhere else? Then what?" Collin asked.

"If there's no fish in the lake, I'll teach you how to make traps and we'll catch rabbits and deer, and anything else running around. Grandpa taught me how to fish and catch animals when we were on the road, he taught me how to get food for myself and others, and I'll make sure you learn too. And I'm going to teach you how to build a shelter and weather proof it too. And building a fire, you're going to learn how to do that tonight…" Carl continued, listing off all of the new skills that he was going to teach his son.

"Why?" Collin asked, confused about why his father was pushing him to learn so much all of a sudden.

Carl looked away, unsure how to explain to his son what he had been feeling ever since Tony got bitten. "Because I won't be here forever" Carl said softly, looking into his son's brown eyes. "Eventually I'm gonna die, Grandma and grandpa, Aunt Judith… all the grown-ups, we're gonna die one day. We don't know when, you won't know when either, and you have to be ready. You won't ever be ready, but you have to be. I need to know that you know how to survive."

"What if I don't learn? What if I can't take care of myself? I'm scared dad. I don't want to be alone."

"You won't be alone, you have a family, you have Kaleb, and Tabitha, and Selena. But, what is happening with Uncle Tony, it scared me son. I realized that I can't always be there for you like I want to. I want you to be ready just in case. Just in case something bad happens."

"But it won't, right? You're just telling me this just in case? You're not… you're not gonna turn into a Walker like Uncle Tony?"

Carl sighed and looked down for a moment. He didn't know how to respond to that.

"I… I know you know what's happening with Uncle Tony. He's… he's sick. And… he won't be with us long. That happens sometimes with people you love. Not always, but sometimes. And it's okay to be sad, and scared about that. But… you also have to be there for your cousins. They're losing their dad, and they need you to be supportive."

"I know dad, but you'll never turn into one of them, right?" Collin asked, his eyes widening as he stared at Carl. Carl could tell by the way Collin's eyes began to moisten, and the serious look on Collin's face, that his son had thought of that question many times. Carl recognized the fear in Collin's eyes, because Carl himself had had that fear when on the road with Rick. His son was wondering what he would do if he lost his father. How he would survive.

"I can't promise you that Collin" Carl said, as he wrapped his arm around his son's shoulder. I can't. I can just say that I love you, and as long as I'm here I will do what I can to keep you safe. And that includes teaching you how to keep yourself and our family safe."

Collin looked down at his shoes. "I'm scared we won't make it" he admitted.

"That's okay. I'm scared too" Carl said, "but we have to keep going. The important thing in life is to keep going when you're scared. That's what brave people do."

Collin nodded.

"C'mon let's clear the next room. You're in charge this time" Carl said, placing his hand on his son's shoulder, "What do you do?"

"Take off my safety" Collin said as he did so. The two of them walked towards a closed office door.

"Then what?" Carl prodded.

"Knock on the door to check for Walkers" Collin said. He raised his fist and pounded on the closed door three times. The pair listened for any sounds coming from inside the room, but there were none.

"Now?"

"Keep my gun up until I'm sure there are no Walkers" Collin said. He cautiously turned the door handle with his left hand while holding his gun in his right. Carl stayed close behind his son, with his knife raised as the boy entered the room. The office was pitch black with no windows and they couldn't see anything, but Carl allowed Collin to figure out what to do next.

"Dad, I need a flashlight" Collin said, opening his hand towards his father while keeping his eyes on the dark room. He knew Carl carried an emergency one on his gun belt. Carl smirked at his son's demanding demeanor, but he knew that Collin was taking charge, exactly what he wanted him to do.

Carl silently passed the flashlight, and watched as Collin flicked it on, and used it to scout out the rest of the room. After he cleared it, Collin set to his task of searching the desk and drawer for anything useful.

"Dad, what's this?" Collin asked, holding up an iphone he fished from the top drawer. "Is it like a weapon or something?"

Carl burst out laughing. "No, it's a phone!" Carl said, his eyes beginning to tear up from his laughter.

"What's a phone?" Collin asked, and Carl began to laugh harder. It seemed ridiculous that his son had no idea what a phone was, but of course he didn't, no one had used phones since the apocalypse began.

Collin crossed his arms and stared unamused as his father laughed hysterically. "Sorry, sorry, it's really not that funny, I just, sorry. No, it's not a weapon. A phone allowed you to talk to someone who was really far away. You could hear their voice through the phone and they could hear yours. And you could even record videos and take pictures with them. Or watch movies and go on the internet" Carl explained.

"Can I have it?" Collin asked, turning the phone from side to side in his hands.

"Why do you want it?" Carl asked, intrigued.

"It's just… it's just cool… that it could do all that. Maybe one day we can get it to work again."

Carl nodded in pride. "Sure, you can keep it. Maybe you can be our tech wiz and figure out how to get cell phones to work again one day."

Collin smirked slightly and slipped the phone into his back pocket. The pair continued on to the rest of the Welcome Center, clearing a bathroom and another office room, Collin leading the way.

XXXXXXXXXX

After it was cleared, the family settled inside for the night. The animals were left outside because there wasn't enough space for them, but they were safe as long as someone was on watch. The cliff behind them was the perfect barrier from Walkers, and those keeping guard only had to worry about threats from one direction.

The family camped out in the large lobby area of the Welcome Center, but Judith and Tony decided to sleep in one of the enclosed offices, away from their daughters' tent for the safety of the girls and everyone else. Tony's ankle had swelled and was hot to the touch, but the virus was spreading fairly slowly, maybe because of the minute cut he'd gotten from the Walker's teeth.

Akisho and Michonne took first watch while the rest of the family slept. The two women sat in silence, staring into the distance, listening for any sounds. After a few minutes, Akisho broke the silence.

"Thank you, Mrs. Grimes, for letting me stay" she began softly.

"Well, I had to respect your stubborn persistence. You didn't give us much of a choice" Michonne chuckled.

"I know" Akisho said, looking down and staring at nothing.

"Actually, I'm glad you came" Michonne admitted, and Akisho's head shot upward. "Staying there wouldn't've been wise for anyone. I know it had to be hard to decide to leave, even against what your father wanted. It was very brave."

A small smile flashed across Akisho's lips, and she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Actually, I miss my dad. We fought a lot, because he wanted me to be something I wasn't. He wanted me to be how my mom was. Good, polite, needing someone to protect her. He wanted me to be like my mom, but my mom died because she was like that. She didn't know how to protect herself and she died. I never understood why he wanted me to be someone who couldn't survive. I know he loves me, but he has these old fashioned values of what girls should be doing. I think he tried to overprotect me because of what happened to my mom."

"Sometimes parents love their children so much, they don't do what's best for them. I mean, parents sometimes like to think they know best, but sometimes, we just don't."

"But I was mean to him. I was bad. I'd sneak out sometimes and do what I wanted. I just wanted to make him angry sometimes because he expected me to act in a way that made no sense. Like, he didn't even want me to wear a knife, let alone have a gun. I had to learn everything I've learned in secret, and I just don't understand why he's like that." Akisho fiddled with the knife she held in her hand and she became lost in her thoughts for a while as Michonne studied the girl.

"You think my dad misses me?" Akisho asked in a voice that was so tiny, if Michonne wasn't looking at her she might have missed it.

"Of course he does" Michonne said, placing her hand on Akisho's shoulder. "I'm sure he misses you. There's nothing worse for a parent than not knowing where your child is."

"I left him a note. I told him where I was going and why I had to go. I'd hoped he'd change his mind and follow us, but knowing my dad, once he makes up his mind about something he won't back down. Even if it's stupid and he's wrong."

"That sounds like more stubborn persistence to me" Michonne said, focusing her gaze to another area of trees in the distance.

"Lots of people have told us we have the same personality" Akisho said with a smile.

"I'd agree" Michonne laughed. Akisho's smile slowly dropped from her face and she became serious again.

"How are you sure he misses me?" Akisho asked Michonne, the vulnerability in the girl's voice touching Michonne's heart.

"I know for a fact that your dad misses you. When you're a parent, and you don't know where your child is, if they're okay, if they're hurt, or hungry, or sad, or even if they're alive, it's a horrible feeling. You feel like a part of you is missing. I know your dad misses you, because I know what it's like to lose a child, and no matter what led up to the fights you and your dad have been having, all of that falls away when you love each other".

"You lost a child?" Akisho asked, intrigued. "I'm sorry. When?"

"It was… before I met Rick and Carl" Michonne said quickly. "It was a long time ago, but when I think about it, it still hurts. That's how I know that your father misses you, because who wouldn't miss you."

Akisho smiled again and nodded. "You think I'll ever see him again?"

"I don't know. I hope so" Michonne said.

"I would do it again. Leave. I love him, and I wanted to be with my dad, but I also wanted to live. I hope he forgives me for leaving, but I had to."

"You did" Michonne agreed, "you did the right thing". Michonne knew the girl needed to hear it, and as soon as the words left her mouth, the tenseness left Akisho's body. "Maybe your dad realizes that he made a mistake. Maybe we'll never know. But, I'm glad you're with us. Thank you for helping Kaleb get the kids away from the herd." Akisho turned to Michonne again and nodded. "Thank you, Mrs. Grimes."

XXXXXXXXXX

After Michonne and Akisho's watch shift was up, they woke up Carl on their way back to their tents, and Carl nudged Kaleb, who was fast asleep in his sleeping bag. Carl shook the sleepy teen multiple times and then resulted to kicking him in order to wake him up.

"What!" Kaleb grumbled sleepily.

"Shhh. It's our turn for watch" Carl said, annoyed at his brother's tone.

"What time is it?" Kaleb asked, still not fully awake.

"Don't worry about that, c'mon!" Carl said, dragging Kaleb upwards by his arm. Kaleb allowed Carl to guide him as he rubbed his eyes sleepily.

"Hey" Carl said sharply.

"What? I was just waking up!" Kaleb whined.

"Well wake up faster. You can't be half asleep out here. That's how you or someone else gets killed."

Carl's words quickly sobered Kaleb, and he stopped rubbing his eyes. He followed his older brother to the wagon in silence, keeping his hands on the gun at his hip. The two settled in on the wagon's bed, facing different directions. The crickets were uncharacteristically loud, and Carl figured that was a good sign that there were no Walkers in their vicinity. The night was hot but dry. Carl almost wished there was some humidity that would be a sign of impending rain, but it was as dry as a desert, and he was worried. To take his mind off the family's precarious situation he decided to start up a conversation.

"So, how much trouble did you get in when dad found out your girlfriend was following us?"

Kaleb burst out laughing, spit flying from his mouth. "Uh… well, he was mad but he gave me one of those dad talks. You know, when he makes you feel like you're an idiot and have nothing planned out, and he's super wise and knows everything? Yea, one of those."

"Did he tilt his head to the side?"

"Nah, he just squinted his eyes and told me about some of the bad stuff that happened to people on the road. He said he ripped some guys neck out with his teeth, and his friend got his leg eaten" Kaleb said with a shrug.

Carl's eye got wide as his brother nonchalantly spoke of events that took him years to get over.

"Dad said I was a man and he's holding me to the standard he held you to at my age, whatever that means."

"Well your plan was pretty dumb. What was supposed to happen when night time came around, genius?" Carl asked, rolling his eyes at his brother.

"Well, I wasn't gonna let her sleep out there alone. I would've said something before dark, I just wanted us to get far enough away that they couldn't send her back."

"Well you could've gotten her killed" Carl scolded, and Kaleb turned his head and stared off into the dark night. Carl, realizing that Kaleb already felt bad about what he did, changed his tone. "I've had plenty of those talks with dad. Did I ever tell you about the one he gave me after I tried to kill Negan?"

Kaleb's head snapped towards his brother at those words. "What? Are you serious?"

"Yea, I jumped on the back of one of Negan's trucks and machine gunned some of his men. I got all the way to the Sanctuary."

"What? How have I never heard of this before?! You freakin' hid on the back of a truck and went to the bad guy's house? And dad knew?"

"No, duh. He found out when Negan brought me back"

"Negan brought you back _home_? You're playing with me, right?" Kaleb asked, his wide eyes reflecting white in the moonlight.

"Yea, and he made me cook dinner with him. I guess he liked that I wasn't afraid of him."

"Shit, Carl" Kaleb breathed out.

"Hey, watch your language" Carl reprimanded, sounding very much like Michonne.

"Damn, Carl. You were 10 times worse than I ever was. Mom and dad hit the jackpot with me."

"Oh yea? What about that time you climbed over the wall for that girl, what was her name?"

"Kelley. And it wasn't my fault, she dared me to…"

"And you were stupid enough to do it. I remember you pissed mom off with that one. Dad just sat back and let her handle it, I was watching the whole time she was screaming her head off at you."

"Well that still doesn't compare to what _you_ did!"

Carl's voice changed to a serious tone as he thought back on Kaleb's disappearing act. "Yea, I may have done stupid things, but at least I could handle myself. When you climbed that wall, you were only nine, you were younger than Collin, and you were completely naïve about Walkers and everything else. You could've died. I remember when mom and dad went out to look for you. I remember how panicked they were. Mom… she was hysterical. That was why she was so angry when she found you."

"Yea but I was okay, I didn't go far, I was just trying to impress Kelley. It was dumb but, I was okay."

"You don't understand" Carl said, shaking his head from side to side. "You don't understand what it's like to be a parent. To worry about your kid. I didn't either, until I had my own. Now, I can't believe dad put up with my shit."

"Watch your language" Kaleb mocked.

"With my crap" Carl corrected, "and mom… when she thought you were gone, she just crumbled. I know she was remembering…"

"What?" Kaleb asked.

"Nothing. She was just really worried about you." There was silence for a while as the two of them got lost in their own thoughts.

"I kinda get it, being worried about your kid. When I was responsible for Selena, and Tabitha and Collin and Akisho, I got it. It was a lot of pressure knowing that everyone is looking to you. I don't think I like that, being the leader."

"With everything that happened, I forgot to tell you, but thank you for taking care of them. You did a good job."

"I didn't do anything."

"You did. You got them out of there like you said you would, so thanks."

"Yea sure. Dad said there were people out here that would do messed up things to us if they got the chance. Is that true?"

"Yea"

"You think we might run into them?"

"Maybe, but they won't win. They never do. We're gonna get to the lake and we'll be okay."

"What is it like? when someone turns?" Kaleb asked. The words burst from his mouth as if he had been thinking it for the entire conversation until the words suddenly set themselves free. "Like, are they talking to you one minute and then they're just a Walker all of a sudden? Or does it take a long time? Do they know they're turning?"

Carl paused for a moment, taken aback. "Why are you asking...oh" Carl said, realizing the answer to his question as soon as he asked it. He sighed, remembering how sheltered his little brother was. "They die first. And then after a while, if you don't end it, they come back. It could be minutes, or hours, you never know how long. That's why if it's someone you love, you end it for them so they don't have to go through that."

"You think Judith and the girls are gonna be okay? You know, after Tony's gone?"

"Do you?" Carl asked.

"I… I dunno…" Kaleb admitted.

"If I made it after I lost Enid, Judith will make it. She has us at least" Carl said, placing his hand on his brother's shoulder.

XXXXXXXXX

Judith opened her eyes, and for a moment she had no idea where she was. She jumped and turned her head, her heart beating rapidly until her eyes made contact with her sleeping husband. He was pressed against her, with his arm wrapped protectively around her waist, his hand pressed against her growing belly. Her sudden movement didn't wake him, and she settled back down to study his face. His eyes were closed and peaceful, and there were no worry lines on his forehead, but Judith noticed that his skin looked pale and clammy, and there was sweat pooling on his t-shirt around his underarms and back. She could tell he had the beginnings of a fever.

Reluctant to wake him, but knowing that the family had to pack up and get on the road soon, Judith gently called him.

Tony's eyes fluttered open, and Judith could immediately see they were pink around the edges.

"Hey" she said, trying to keep the mood light.

Tony stretched his cramped body and then smiled. "Hey" he returned, "Do I look as bad as I feel?"

Judith smiled and kissed Tony's nose. "You look handsome" she answered.

Tony placed his hand on Judith's cheek and stroked her face with his thumb, gazing into her eyes. He then pulled her in for a deep kiss. When they pulled away from each other, Tony's expression was an anguished one. "It's beginning" he said softly.

"I know" Judith admitted.

"I had a weird dream. It was about the baby, at least I think it was" Tony said, propping his head up on his arm. "I was in Alexandria sitting on our front porch, and this little boy just appeared out of nowhere. He was right in front of me, and as I looked at him I just knew he was my son. It… it was the baby, except he was a kid. He just stood there, and as I looked at him I could hear the words 'everything gets returned'… I don't know what that means, but hearing it gave me so much peace. Seeing him, the baby, gave me so much peace."

Judith smiled at her husband. "How do you know it's a boy?" she asked playfully.

"Let's just say I have a hunch" Tony smirked, rubbing Judith's belly. His expression became more serious. "Why didn't you tell me about the baby earlier?"

Judith smiled to hold back the tears that began to well up in her eyes. "I was… afraid. I was scared to admit it was in there. I know you wanted another one, but I didn't. I was afraid of a lot of things, but now they seem so stupid. I was so stupid. I'm sorry for hiding it from you."

"I know you tried to hide it, but you didn't do a very good job" Tony chuckled. "I could tell you were pregnant for a while. I could see how your body was changing. I could always tell when you were pregnant, but you didn't say anything this time, so I didn't mention it."

"Tony" Judith said, a tear finally trickling down her cheek after filling up her eyes. "Are you scared?"

Tony wiped her tears away with his thumb, and pulled his wife on top of him so she could rest her head on his chest. "Yes baby. Yes. But I want to see that you make it. Maybe… maybe this is what I was born for, to have three beautiful children, and a beautiful wife, and everything I've ever done has led to this. And if I've fulfilled my purpose I'm okay. Okay?" he asked, moving his head so that he was eye level with Judith.

"Okay" she repeated.

"Come on, let's get going."

Judith stood up and reached out an arm to Tony who allowed her to pull him up. As soon as he got out from underneath their blanket, goosebumps sprang up on his skin and he got chills. Judith stared at him, concerned about how quickly he was going downhill.

"I think I have at least another day or so" Tony said to Judith after reading the concern in her face while they were folding up their blankets. "I feel okay. I think I can make it to the lake. I hope I can."

"You will" Judith said, picking up the folded blanket and tucking it under her arms.

XXXXXXXXXX

The family traveled steadily throughout the next day. The animals were noticeably getting more tired as time went by, slowing down progress. The water supply, although rationed, was running low, and if they came across any new detours, they would run out of water way before they made it to the lake. Their food supply was also dwindling, as they had eaten through their small supply of perishable foods that they'd scavenged from Alexandria, and were now dependent on the canned food.

As the day went by, Tony's fever steadily increased until he agreed to take a rest in the back of the wagon, but he refused to sleep. He taught Tabitha all of the hunting dogs' commands, and how to use them to take down a deer or racoon or the stray opossum they might come across. When they stopped to take a water break, Tabitha practiced the commands with Tony's dogs as he watched and scolded the dogs that didn't listen. He practiced spelling words with Selena, and when she grew tired of that he allowed her to do his hair, making him pretty. He tried to spend as much time with his wife and daughters as he could, knowing that his time on the Earth was getting shorter by the minute.

By the next morning, the infection in Tony's leg was so severe he couldn't walk on it at all, and his high fever was bringing him in and out of consciousness. Rick, Carl, and Kaleb carefully carried him into the wagon, and piled blankets on top of him to make him comfortable. He was burning up, but begged them not to remove any of the blankets. By noon of the second day, Tony couldn't take it anymore. He called Judith over to him and told her the heartbreaking news.

"I'm done baby. I'm done" he said, his jaw shaking from the chills that racked his body. "This is what I didn't want. I didn't want to be this way. Falling apart, in and out of consciousness. I thought I could make it there with you, but I can't."

Judith sobbed, knowing that her husband was right.

Tony called over the family and said his goodbyes to each one, thanking Michonne for accepting him as her son in law, and allowing him to get closer to Judith. He'd thanked Carl and Kaleb for being the brothers he'd never had. He'd thanked Akisho and Collin for looking out for his daughters. When it was time for Rick to approach, Rick couldn't hold back the tears that streamed down his face.

"You promised you'd take care of her, and you did Tony. You did" Rick said, holding Tony's hand.

"I tried to" Tony said.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of your girls now. And I'll make sure the baby knows all about you. That you were a good man, and brave. I'm glad you weren't scared off by me. She couldn't've married a better man. You're my son, Tony" Rick said, kissing Tony's hand.

Tony smiled and nodded at his father-in-law. "Thank you" he said. "Rick, can you help me up?"

Rick grabbed Tony's arm and helped him to his feet, placing his arm under his shoulders to give him support since he couldn't walk on his ankle. Rick helped him down from the back of the wagon, and into Judith's waiting arms.

"You'll be okay" he reassured her, pulling her face directly in front of his. "You'll be okay. Take care of our girls, and our little boy. They'll be fine, and they'll grow up and be beautiful just like their mother. I did everything I could to take care of you. It wasn't enough, but it was something. I know you'll be okay Judith. You're my girl, my love, my wife, forever. I love you."

Judith buried her face into Tony's neck, and then their daughters ran over, grabbing on to their father's legs. Tony picked each girl up, kissing them on the forehead and hugging them tightly. He told them that he loved them, and that he had to go now, but he would always be with them whenever they needed him. When he was done saying his goodbyes, he returned his girls into the waiting arms of Michonne and Kaleb.

"I'm gonna go into the woods. I just need a gun" he said softly to his wife.

"You're not going to do this by yourself" Judith said stubbornly.

"Judith…"

"I'm not leaving you to do this by yourself!" she said again. "We're going together. We're going to do this together. I have to… be there with you. I have to do this for you after everything you've done for me."

"I can come" Michonne offered. "I can help."

Judith nodded at her mother, knowing that she might need support. Judith had never seen anyone actually die, especially not a loved one. Michonne took one of Tony's shoulders, and Judith took another, and the two women helped him into the woods away from the rest of the family. The women walked until they could no longer hear Tabitha and Selena's crying.

"This is good, right here" Tony said, pointing to a tree that was by itself in a clearing. The women helped him limp painfully over to the tree and lower himself to a comfortable position. Judith squatted next to him as he looked around the clearing.

"This is a nice final resting place, don't you think?" Tony asked, talking more to himself than anyone else. He looked up at the two women who wore haggard faces.

"I'm okay, I promise" he said, trying to convince them. "I just... need the gun" he said to Michonne. Michonne nodded and slowly took her gun from its holster, handing it to Tony handle first.

He took the gun and looked down at it, admiring its handiwork. His hands shook as what he was about to do hit him. He looked up at Judith again.

"I want your face to be the last thing I see, but I don't want you to see this" he said to Judith. "I love you, but go on with your mom. Don't worry about burying me, I'll be okay here. It's peaceful and quiet, and... it's kind of nice. I can't do this with you looking at me, I can't hurt you more."

"For once, Tony, stop worrying about me. Let me do this for you. You've done so much for me and the girls, let me make this easier for you. Please? I can handle this, I can do this" Judith begged.

Tony opened his mouth to protest once again, but realized in his final few moments, that this was about him. Judith was trying to help him, and it was okay to accept her help.

He nodded slightly and relaxed against the tree, raised his arm, and offered the gun to her.

Judith took a breath and took the gun from Tony, staring into his eyes. "I love you. I'll always be with you" Tony said.

"I love you too, and thank you for everything" Judith uttered, her grief-stricken voice coming out as a mere whisper.

Tony, using his last few words to watch out for Judith again, said "don't look baby" before closing his eyes and awaiting his fate. Judith blinked back tears as she pointed the gun at her husband's head. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Michonne's pained look as she watched her daughter do the hardest thing she'd ever had to do. Judith clicked the safety off the gun, and used two hands to steady her shaking arms.

She let out a sob just before she squeezed the trigger, the gunshot echoing through the quiet forest.

She froze for a moment, not knowing what to do. Her hand was locked into place, pointed at her husband who was no longer breathing. Judith's mouth gaped open when she looked at what her husband's head had become. She let out a scream that pierced through the forest.

Michonne quickly came up behind Judith and placed her arms around her waist, hugging her from behind. "It's okay, it's okay, Judy. Come on now, put the gun down, just give it to me" Michonne said softly into Judith's ear. Judith's muscles seemed unable to move. She stayed frozen in the same spot, still staring at her husband in horror. Michonne gently reached for the gun and took it from Judith's hands. She put the safety on and returned it to her gun belt. She then turned Judith around to face her, grabbing her face so that she looked into Michonne's eyes.

"It's okay honey, it's okay" Michonne reassured her, "It was what he wanted. You helped him."

Judith closed her eyes and sobbed, her whole body bending forward so her hands were resting on her knees.

"It's okay" Michonne said again, rubbing her daughter's back. "Let's go. That isn't him anymore. He's not here anymore."

Michonne wrapped her arms around Judith, and guided her back to the group who were waiting on the road. Rick had Tabitha in his arms, rocking the crying child back and forth, as Carl did the same for Selena. Collin was trying to offer any comfort he could, rubbing the bottom of Selena's foot with one hand, and rubbing her back with another. Kaleb was pacing back and forth in front of the wagon with his hands resting on the top of his head, and Akisho was inside the wagon with her knees pressed up to her chest. It seemed the entire family had heard the gunshot and the scream.

When Michonne and Judith reappeared from the woods, everyone's heads shot up. Tabitha wiggled from Rick's arms and ran to her mother in a fit of grief, running at her so hard she knocked Judith over. Judith fell backwards on to her butt, but managed to hold on to her daughter, and the two of them wept loudly in a heartbreaking chorus. Carl put Selena down and she ran over to her mother and sister as well, as they cried together in a group hug of sadness.

XXXXXXXXXX

A day and a half later, the family was a few miles away from the lake, with dwindling water supplies, and a heavy heart. Judith had barely eaten or spoken since Tony's death. The only thing she would respond to was her daughters, and the only time she'd eat was when someone reminded her she was pregnant.

Michonne knew very well what grief could do to someone. The loss of her boyfriend Mike was tragic, and she'd loved that man deeply, but the loss of her son, Andre, destroyed her. It destroyed all the light she had inside of her, all of her dreams, and aspirations, and hopes. It destroyed her future, and for a long time she truly believed that there was none. But even she was able to come back from that broken state, and Judith had more to live for than Michonne had had. She watched her daughter stare blankly ahead, sitting atop Peppermint the pony, as Selena sat on Judith's lap, facing backwards so that she could take a nap against her mother's chest. Michonne knew the despair that Judith was feeling, and she also knew by the way her daughter had stepped up to end her love's suffering that Judith could make it through this.

Rick stopped the group when they were close to the lake, and moved everyone into the bushes.

"We don't know what we're walkin' into" he explained. "We need to scout out the area first, see if there are any people around, what they're up to, and if the lake is the place we've been lookin' for. Carl and I can go, we'll split up, circle the entire lake, get as much intel as we can, and come back. We should be back by dusk."

"I'm coming" Kaleb stated. "With three people you can get the search done much faster."

"Me too, Mr. Grimes" Akisho added. "I can be very quiet, and I climb trees. I can get you lots of surveillance."

"It's just gonna be me and Carl…" Rick started, but Kaleb cut him off.

"You said you were giving us adult responsibilities. That includes this" Kaleb demanded. "Dad, we're not kids. We can do it."

Rick looked at Carl who shrugged.

"Fine, but if he comes, he's staying with you."

XXXXXXXXXX

Both Kaleb and Akisho trailed behind Rick as they approached the large wooded area which led to the lake. The trees were so thick they could barely see ahead of them.

'This would be the perfect place for cover' Rick thought, 'or attack.' He gestured for the teens to stay close behind him as they crept forwards. When Akisho saw a large Willow tree, she pointed and gestured to Rick.

"I can climb that. I can get up there and tell you what I can see, and the branches will hide me from being spotted" she whispered.

"You sure?" Rick asked, looking upwards at the tree that rose into the sky.

"Yep" Akisho said with a bounce, and she turned and headed towards the tree, her black hair swinging behind her. Kaleb jogged after her like a puppy, and watched as she surveyed the tree for a good hand and foot hold.

"Here, I can boost you" Kaleb offered, reaching down and cupping his hands to await her foot.

"Thanks babes, but I'm a pro" Akisho bragged, as she took a running jump and leaped to her first handhold, high above her head. She then wrapped her legs around the tree trunk, and shimmied herself up higher until she could hold on to a steady branch.

"You weren't kidding" Kaleb nodded in admiration. Akisho pushed, shimmied, and climbed her way higher up the tree, while Kaleb and Rick took watch underneath. When she got to the higher branches, the leaves thinned out, and she could see into the distance. The tan landscape stretched out in all directions, and she searched the horizon for anything interesting. And then, she spotted it. The landscape of foliage suddenly stopped and gave way to a large gap in the trees, and right in the middle of the gap, was the lake.

"I think I see it!" Akisho yelled downwards, so ecstatic that she forgot about keeping a low profile. She caught herself just as she yelled, and looked down at the men sheepishly. She climbed slightly higher to get a better view of the lake, and what she saw chilled her to the bone. She couldn't spot any water. It was just dirt and mud. The lake was dry.


	5. Chapter 5

"Damn" Akisho whispered, in shock at what she was seeing. The middle of the lake was a pit of mud that looked fowl smelling and rotten. The dirt around the edges of the lake had been dry for a while, maybe weeks, although some plants that had roots deep enough to tap the small amount of water under the ground were still hanging on to life. She didn't see people anywhere, or signs that they were near.

She glanced downwards at Rick and Kaleb who were looking up at her expectantly. She shook her head slightly and their faces dropped.

"What do you mean, no?" Kaleb asked, confused, as Akisho shimmied her way through the tree branches and down the Willow tree. "No people? No animals? No..."

"Water" Akisho ended his sentence as her feet finally touched the ground. "There's no water in the lake. Just mud. Looks like it's been like that for at least a few weeks."

Rick placed his hand over his mouth in shock. Kaleb shook his head in disbelief. "No way!" Kaleb shouted, "Akisho, are you serious?"

"Yea, 'cuz I'd really joke about that" Akisho said, rolling her eyes. Rick, needing to see what Akisho was saying for himself muttered "stay here" before he promptly turned around and headed off towards the lake. The teens both turned and followed him.

Rick cautiously followed a game trail that led into the clearing where the lake lay. Viewing the dry landscape ahead of him made Rick feel as though a knife had been plunged into his heart.

Rick ran his hand down his face, and gazed into the expanse of mud. The rotting and dying vegetation, and mold that had formed on top of the slightly moist soil, bathed the area in the smell of decay. He needed a moment to think. It was all for nothing. There was nothing here, nothing that would keep his family alive. He'd failed. He had put all of his eggs into this basket. He had counted on this lake being the key. Tony had died to get the family here, and the truth was he had no other plan. There was no backup.

"So, what now? What do we do?" Kaleb asked his father, "what's plan B?"

"Dad?" Kaleb called again when his father didn't answer, and it took the boy a moment to realize that there was no plan B. Akisho looked from Kaleb to Rick, realizing the gravity of the moment.

Rick turned back towards the lake, just as Carl met up to them with the same pale, distressed face that Rick had.

"Now, we tell everyone else" Rick sighed.

XXXXXXXXXX

"What if we start digging in the mud? There's got to still be some water underneath the surface. We might be able to tap into a spot where the water comes up from underground" Michonne said, crossing her arms across her body as she paced back and forth.

"The mud around the lake is rancid and full of bacteria. Even with boiling, it'll likely make us sick. And, there still wouldn't be enough water for the animals" Rick countered.

"So, what do you suggest?" Michonne asked, the pitch of her voice raising higher. "We can't go back, and there's nothing here! We checked the area on the map before we came. There are no other large bodies of water anywhere near here. Certainly not close enough for us to get to before our water runs out, and right now we're looking at two more days for us if we cut into the pack of water I found in the car wash, and one more day for the animals, if we half their ration. We're out of options."

"We should just go" Judith muttered, and everyone turned around to look at her as she sat on the back of Peppermint. Everyone was startled that she'd spoken, she had been quiet for hours. Judith wasn't even looking at them, she was staring straight ahead as if she didn't realize she was speaking out loud. "We should just go die, and it'll be over. There's nothing left."

"Judith" Kaleb said softly, "how can you say that? Your kids are right here…"

"There's nothing left!" she said a little louder. "I didn't want to come out here, I begged… I begged you not to come out here. Now my husband is dead, and we have nothing. And we're going to die anyway. We could've died at home, and I could've had my husband and…" Judith sniffled as tears clouded her eyes, "I don't even have him to die with. So, if we're gonna go, we should just all go together as a family, and end it now."

Tabitha and Selena watched their mother, stunned. Kaleb reached out and pulled the two girls towards himself in a protective gesture.

"Judith…" Rick muttered, stunned.

"I'm thinking clearly" she responded. "I'm not going to watch my daughters die of dehydration."

"No one is dying of dehydration" Rick said flatly.

"Well if you guys have a plan, let me know. Because right now, it seems like we're stuck out here, and the only thing we have a lot of is bullets" Judith said.

"The Welcome Center!" Carl said suddenly, and he jogged over to his bag as he spoke excitedly. "There were a bunch of maps that I took from there, of like, attractions and things to do in the area. I remember one of the nearby attractions was Washington Caverns. Like… like a little cave system. Maybe there's water there?". Carl dove into his bag, moving things out of the way until he found the booklet of nearby attractions. He flopped through the pages until he came upon the advertisement.

"Washington Caverns, underground natural cave system and family fun area. Come explore fifteen miles of underground caverns, and view our world famous stalagmite shaped like George Washington. Take a 15 minute walking tour that ends with a boat ride through our underground river…" Carl read out loud.

"That's it, that's it! There's a river there" Michonne said excitedly. Rick nodded in agreement, "that's it. That's where we're going. How far away is it Carl?"

"It says two exits past the Welcome Center. We'll have to go back the way we came. Getting there will use up all of our water. We'll have nothing left" Carl responded, shaking his head.

"If we stay, we'll have nothing left" Rick said softly. "This is it, this is our last chance."

Michonne nodded and hoisted Selena up onto Judith's lap, startling Judith who was staring at Rick. "If we leave now and pick up the pace, we can make it back to that exit in three days" Michonne said as she simultaneously made her way over to her mare.

"Mom, you said we have two days of water left" Judith reminded her.

Michonne shrugged and hopped up on her horse's back. "I guess day three will be rough. We can do it. Tabby, call the dogs" Michonne ordered Tabitha. The small girl nodded and whistled at the dogs who were with the herd of livestock. As soon as they heard Tabitha's whistle they perked up and began to herd the sheep.

"You're getting better at that" Rick complimented. She had been practicing with the dogs ever since Tony had taught her the whistles, and the dogs took to her seamlessly. Tabitha smiled at her grandfather and then walked over to Judith, who pulled her up on to the pony as well.

XXXXXXXXXX

For hours, miles, and days they walked and rode, limiting the number of breaks to every five hours. The children were exhausted, the animals on the verge of collapse. On the second day of walking back to the exit for the caverns, one of their goats lay down and refused to get back up. After a quick debate as to what to do with it, Carl killed it, and the family feasted on the meal that night. Although the fresh meat gave them energy to push through to the next day, they finished their last few mouthfuls of water that night, and the none of the adults slept as they worried if they'd ever drink a mouthful of water again.

The third morning was hazy and brutally hot. Even though they started on the road well before sunrise, the heat was oppressive. By the mid afternoon it was unbearable. They were all covered in sweat, losing the precious moisture stored in their bodies. The goats, cows, and horses were foaming at the mouth, as they also had not consumed water for hours and were suffering. Tabitha, Selena, and Collin were hiding underneath the car seat covers Michonne had found in the burned down carwash, just to stay out of the blazing sun. Their lips were chapped and dry, and their fair skin had been burned a bright shade of red, and everyone was concerned for their most vulnerable family members. The adults also wore the furry covers on their heads and shoulders as a sunblock, and Akisho had fashioned one around the head of the horse pulling the wagon, just to give it a little reprieve from the blistering sun.

As much as they needed to speed up the pace, they were steadily slowing down. Rick was limping heavily from his old injuries, and the unrelenting walking that they'd done for the past few days. Michonne's knees were screaming for her to sit down or get back on her horse, and the dehydration was bringing on another migraine, but she wanted to give her thirsty, exhausted horse a break from having a rider on her back. Kaleb and Akisho were faring the best out of everyone due to their young age and good health, but Akisho had a severe sunburn on her cheeks and shoulders that looked painful. Kaleb's darker skin saved him from Akisho's fate, and he now had a tan that made him the same skin color as his mother.

As the family traveled, Carl and Judith were the most pensive of the group, both of them in their own worlds. To some degree, they knew how the other was feeling. They had both lost their spouses and were single parents trying to survive in this hellish world. The loss of Tony had made Judith realize that life was random, and brutal, and no matter how many people were around her, and no matter how vigilant she was, or thought she was being, she wasn't safe. Ever. Not even in Alexandria. Not even with her parents. Not even with her husband. The sudden way he'd gotten bitten shook her to her core, and she didn't know if she'd ever get over it. Suicide felt like a better solution than going through life waiting for the day when she'd trip and it'd be over for her too. She didn't want to die, but she preferred that over getting bit. As they traveled closer to their final lifeline, Judith decided that it was easier to expect the worse, and she already began planning how she and her daughters would die.

Carl's approach to the situation was the opposite of Judith's. He knew that their situation was dire, but he had memories of being in this situation before and surviving. He remembered not having food and water, having no home, having no hope. He remembered the hopelessness he felt when he came upon Judith's bloody car seat after the prison fell. He remembered believing that his mother died for no reason, because now his little sister who he was supposed to watch and protect was dead. And he remembered the exhilaration he felt when Tyrese came out of that cabin carrying his sister. At that moment he knew that you could lose everything and gain it back. And with his son here, with his family here, he knew that they could get everything back again. If the worse happened, and there was no water in the caverns, he would drink cow, horse, and goat blood until rained. This wasn't the end for him or his son. He'd make sure of it by any means necessary. Carl looked ahead at the children in the wagon. He could see Collin's messy hair poking out from underneath the car cover over his head. The sight of his son solidified the feeling he had in his heart. Carl silently spoke to Enid. _We'll be okay. Don't worry._

XXXXXXXXXX

An hour after the sun set, they finally arrived at Washington Caverns. They usually would have stopped for the night, but this was an emergency, and they had to know if there was water or not. The campgrounds were black, the only light coming from the flashlights that each of them were carrying so that they could safely navigate the trees. They steered the wagon and cattle through the parking lot which was once made of gravel, but now had trees, bushes, and weeds sticking up through it. The uneven terrain jolted and shook the wooden cart, until one of the wheels became jammed in a ditch, stopping the vehicle from moving.

"We can push it out" Kaleb whispered, keeping his voice low to not attract walkers or people that could be hiding in the woods in the dark.

"No, leave it for now" Rick said, beginning to unhook the horse attached to it. "We don't have time. We can get it in the morning. Take our remaining food and anything else we need for the night. We have to get in the caverns."

"In the dark?" Akisho asked. "Mr. Grimes, we can barely see out here in the open, wouldn't it be a bad idea to go into the caves in the dark?"

"Rick, she's right" Michonne cut in. "We don't need anyone getting injured."

"I'll go" Rick said. "I'll find out where the entrance is, see if there's a way to get in. If I can I'll try to scope it out."

"We can wait until the night is over. We're all thirsty, but no one will die if we wait until morning" Michonne said.

"And what if we wait until morning, spend the whole morning getting into the caves, the entire afternoon trudging around looking for the river, and we find out there's no water tomorrow night. That's two days without water. If it's a lost cause I need to know now, so we can…"

"So we can do what, Dad?" Judith muttered. "If there's no water there's nothing we can do. That's it. So, you might as well wait until morning. Mom's right."

Rick paused unhooking the horse, to stare at his daughter who was leading Peppermint by the reins, as her daughters rode. Her eyes were half closed with fatigue, and her small frame was drenched with sweat. She had had enough. It was time to rest for the day.

Rick nodded. "Ok, we'll find the entrance first thing in the morning. We'll have to sleep out in the open tonight. I have first watch."

Michonne made her way over to Rick as the others unpacked what they needed and set up their tents. She stood next to him and they stared off into the darkness together.

"You should sleep" Rick said.

"I'm fine" Michonne answered.

"You need to get rest, I know your head is hurting"

"I'm fine" she repeated. Rick didn't try to convince her again. He knew Michonne did as she pleased, it was one of the things he loved and admired about her. He also knew, that she knew, he needed to talk. He was too tired to pretend that wasn't true.

"I think Judith blames me" Rick said softly as he looked at the ground, "and she's not wrong. We're out here because of me. Tony… it was because I brought us out here. It… it's my fault."

Michonne nodded while continuing her stare into the dark. "You're right. It is your fault we're out here" she said softly. Rick's head snapped towards Michonne. He honestly didn't expect her to agree with him. His face dropped and his skin paled. Did she blame him like Judith did? Did she think he got Tony killed? The thought of Michonne being disappointed with him hurt more than any wound he had experienced. He felt shame and anguish wash over him before she slowly turned and looked him in his eyes. Her look of love made all of that disappear as quickly as it came.

"It's your fault that we have a chance, which is more than we would've had if we'd stayed in Alexandria. It's your fault that there is even a possibility of us finding water tomorrow. But it's not your fault that Tony died. That had nothing to do with you. You know that. Judith is angry, and grieving, and scared. She is going to blame anything and everything, including herself. Don't take that to heart. You weren't the only one who agreed to leave, we all did, Tony included. Even if… even if we don't make it through this… you did everything in your power to save your family. You can be proud of that."

Rick shook his head. "I can't be proud of that unless it actually saves my family."

Michonne nodded. "I know."

A rustle in the trees made everyone freeze. Rick and Michonne cocked their guns, as did everyone else who had one. Michonne squinted into the darkness and could see a glint of metal in the dim moonlight.

"You're surrounded. Put down your weapons now or we'll shoot you" a voice called from the darkness.

"What do you want?" Rick asked, his ears straining to hear if there really were other people in the woods.

"Put your weapons down now. I won't say it again" the voice demanded.

Rick glanced from Michonne to Carl who was behind him. If whoever it was in the trees was by themselves, there was no way they were going to harm this family. But if there was a group of them, he didn't want them to shoot. Michonne looked at Rick briefly before lowering her gun and placing it on the ground. The rest of the family followed her.

"Put your hands up" the same voice yelled.

"What do you want?" Rick repeated.

"You answer my questions. That's how it goes. Why are you here?" the voice asked.

"We were looking for water. We didn't know anyone was here. Water was all we wanted."

"What makes you think there's water here?" the man asked.

"It was just a hunch. Look, if you have water do you mind sharin'? We've been walkin' for days searching for some."

The voice didn't answer for a few seconds. Michonne could hear a soft conversation happening a few feet away. So, there were others in the woods.

"You need to get out of our territory" the voice commanded. "You can look for water somewhere else."

"Please" Rick said. "There is nowhere else. We've been traveling for a week. We have children. If there's no water here then there's no hope. We're going to die."

"How did you find us?"

"I told you, we were just looking for water. I don't know anything about you. We figured there might be water in the caves."

Now, there was a longer muffled conversation in the dark. "Get on your knees" the voice demanded.

"Look, we put our weapons down. We're no threat to you. If you come out of the bushes we can talk."

"Get on your knees. Now!"

Michonne nodded at Rick again, and then sank to her knees, the rest of the family following suit. Rick's head swiveled around to keep all of his family members in view, as a large group of people stepped out from the tree cover. They immediately came over to the weapons and snatched them from the ground, leaving the family defenseless. People began going through their belongings, searching their bags and the wagon. A man stepped forwards and approached Rick. He had a large brimmed hat on his head and in the dark all Rick could see was shadows covering his face.

"Where did you come from?" the man asked.

"North" Rick answered.

"No, _where_ did you come from?"

"I don't know, we travel a lot" Rick said, trying to stare underneath the man's hat and see his face.

"You're lying" the man declared. "You have canned food, and hay for the animals. You came from a community, a farm at least. Tell me where you came from, or you can go back there."

"Okay" Rick agreed. "We came from a community in Virginia, but there's no water there, so we had to leave. The only thing we need is water. We're no threat to you."

The man slowly surveyed Kaleb, Carl, Akisho, Judith, and the three children that were on their knees behind Rick and Michonne. He then looked back down at Rick.

"Please. I know you have water. We can help out your community here, or, we can just take some water and go on our way. But if we don't get water for ourselves and our animals, we'll die. That will be on your hands."

"Find anything?" the man asked his people who had finished ransacking their belongings.

"No" someone called.

The man placed his hands behind his back and circled Rick and Michonne as everyone else waited silently.

"You can stay here for the night. You will be watched. In the morning you can speak to our leader" the man said.

"Okay. Thank you" Rick said. At least they weren't asking them to leave. The group stepped away from the Grimes' belongings, and the man gestured for them to stand. Rick got to his feet, and helped Michonne up.

The man whistled, and the group backed into the tree cover, leaving him alone with the family.

"Thank you for letting us stay" Rick said again.

"It's not decided if you're staying. I said you can talk to our leader"

"Okay" Rick said. "What's your leader's name?"

"Double A" the man said, before he also disappeared into the trees.

XXXXXXXXXX

Knowing they were being watched, no one slept that night, except for Judith and the kids. Judith had tried to stay awake, but the fatigue from the pregnancy and the journey took its toll on her. When dawn began to light the sky, they could glimpse people in the tree line. They had been there all night, keeping tabs on what the family was doing.

When it was bright enough to see, two men entered the overgrown parking lot area where Rick's family was camping out. They held three bottles of water which they offered to Rick.

"Thank you" Rick said, slowly accepting the water before turning around and passing it to Carl who divided it up amongst the whole family.

"Thank you so much" Rick said again. The men nodded and gestured for Rick to follow them. Rick nodded to his family before walking off with the men through the overgrown parking lot area, and to a run-down building that was labeled 'Gift Shop'. They walked up the five steps leading to the door, and when they got to the top, both men surprised Rick by immediately removing their shoes. When they were done, they looked at Rick expectantly, and he sheepishly did the same, placing his boots by the front door. They knocked twice, and a young man opened the front door.

The first thing Rick noticed was the man's hair. He allowed his hair to grow into quite an impressive afro, that circled his head like a halo or crown, with occasional curls sticking out of his afro like jewels. His afro merged almost seamlessly into a growing beard and mustache that was patchy in some places, and newly growing in others. From this, Rick concluded that the man was very young, even younger than Carl. Rick's eyes then fell to the man's dark brown skin which was flawlessly smooth, and his deep brown almond shaped eyes that lit up the rest of his face. There was something familiar about those eyes that Rick couldn't place. As Rick studied the man, he took the time to study Rick as well, the two of them observing the other until the man spoke.

"Come in" he said, and Rick immediately recognized the voice that was speaking to him yesterday in the dark. Rick stepped past the man, into a front room that was bare, except for a remarkably clean rug and two metal chairs that were facing each other. The man gestured to one of the chairs and Rick sat down, still not knowing what to expect. He decided to wait before he said anything. The man nodded to the other two men who had brought Rick there, and they walked past Rick and through a door on the opposite side of the room, closing it behind them. The leader continued to look out the front door for a few seconds, before closing it behind him, and leisurely making his way to the metal chair opposite Rick.

"I… I just want to thank you, for giving us water" Rick started. "We haven't drunk anythang for a while. My name is Rick."

The man looked at Rick, still studying him, before he nodded slowly. "Are you Double A?" Rick asked.

"I am" the man said.

"You were out there with us, last night" Rick said.

"Yes. You said you were in a community in Virginia, before you came here. What was the name of it?"

Rick hesitated for a moment. He didn't know this man, and what his intentions were. What if he planned on going to Alexandria to attack it? What if he wanted to take over?

"It was called Alexandria, but I don't know if it even exists anymore. There was no water there, that's why we had to leave. Hopefully everyone did" Rick explained.

"But now you want our water?" Double A asked, his voice increasing in pitch.

"We don't… we don't want to take your water from you. We'd like to share if you have enough. We just want to survive. We only need to be here until it starts to rain again" Rick said.

"What can you do for us?" Double A asked, folding his hands across his lap.

"Well, what do you need? We can work, help you out. We'll pay for our stay however we can" Rick said.

" _However_ you can?" Double A repeated.

Rick's eyes squinted at the way the man asked the question.

"We'll be helpful if it's something we can do" Rick said.

"Everyone in your group, are you related? Friends? Traveling companions?" Double A asked.

"Something like that" Rick answered.

"Which?"

"Why does it matter?" Rick asked, getting suspicious.

"I'm the one asking the questions" Double A said, "how are you all related?"

"We're family" Rick said.

"So, if I asked for one of your women as payment for you to stay here, would you accept my offer?"

Rick jumped out of his seat so quickly, Double A was genuinely surprised and jumped backwards, almost knocking over his chair.

"We're done here" Rick said, turning and heading towards the door.

"Wait!" Double A said, making Rick freeze in his tracks and spin back around.

"That was hypothetical, I just wanted to see what you'd say, but I know the answer now. You won't sell out a family member, I appreciate that loyalty. You'd be surprised how many people we have come across who would have said yes to that offer, and with that being the case you can't trust any one of them. You and your family can stay here, until it rains, but our water is not free. You will receive enough water for yourselves and your livestock, but in exchange you will provide us with livestock for food. One animal every four days should be enough to feed us. Our water helps us to grow vegetables, but the hunting around here is bad, and we need more sources of protein. You have many animals, and that's something we would trade for" Double A said.

Rick took a moment to think about the offer. If he said no and left, his family and the livestock would die on the road. If he stayed, at least he knew his family would survive. They couldn't provide water for the cows and goats anyway, it was kinder that they go with a purpose then die of dehydration in a ditch.

Double A waited patiently as Rick considered his plight. When Rick was done, he nodded at the young man and reached out a hand to shake Double A's. "It's a deal."

XXXXXXXXXX

That same day, Rick gave Double A one of the family's cows, and then the Grimes' picked out their own spot on a plot of land in Double A's community. The community consisted of the cave system, the parking lot, and a few acres of grassland and forest around the cave. The community had been named after their location, Washington Caverns or WC. Although it hadn't been disclosed to them where the water was coming from, Rick assumed that Carl was right, and there was an underground river inside of Washington Caverns. Rick could tell it was a small, close knit community. Some of the people lived in the buildings surrounding the caverns like the Gift Shop, Historical building, and a few other shopping areas that were spread about the WC property. Others decided to camp in the open areas like Rick's family was doing.

The best thing about this new community, was that there was now enough water for the family to bathe. Even when they were back in Alexandria, the water situation was so bad that bathing was off limits, so they hadn't washed in at least a month. Rick had built a makeshift shower next to a tree, with a holey bucket that could be filled with water and then dripped down on the person below.

Michonne, as the matriarch of the family was the first in line for her shower, and she sang songs loudly as she washed the ground-in dirt from her body and hair with just water and a rag. Once the entire family got their time in the shower, they did something they hadn't done in months. Relax. At least slightly.

There were other children in WC, and the day the Grimes' were accepted into the community, children started showing up to ask if Collin, Tabitha and Selena wanted to play. Thinking their children needed a reprieve from survival and constant worrying, Carl and Judith went to supervise as the children played tag, and catch, with their new playmates.

The next day, Kaleb asked Rick if he could work in the community fields during the day. The teen had seen many of the teens and young adults in the fields, keeping the growing crops weeded and watered. He was bored, and it was an opportunity to get to know more people in the community. Rick was skeptical about it, but Michonne wanted to let him socialize with others besides their family members, and she gave him permission.

XXXXXXXXXX

"You're pretty good at that, weeding the plants? I haven't seen a newbie do them that fast before" Double A called to Kaleb, who was going from plant to plant, weeding each one. Double A was surprised when the young boy from the new group asked to join field duty. He was still suspicious of the leader of the group, and although there had been no problems with his family as yet, he still had people keeping an eye on the new comers.

"That's 'cuz I'm not a newbie. I did this all the time in my old town. It's not like it's hard" Kaleb said, wiping sweat from his brow.

"Hmmm, cocky too I see" Double A said, smirking and rubbing his chin.

Kaleb shrugged and continued his back breaking work. "You guys should really use tarps over the dirt. It blocks the light, then you don't get weeds, plus you don't have to water them so often 'cuz the water doesn't evaporate."

Double A stopped working on his plant and stood up to get a better look at Kaleb. "That's a great idea" he said, nodding. "Is that what you did at your old town too?"

"Yea, my Aunt Maggie, she knew all about that stuff and she taught me all about farming" Kaleb said, not even looking up.

"Well unfortunately no one here knows that much about farming, we're just doing what we can, but we can use a few farming experts. Before this drought, most of our food came from hunting. There were lots of herds of deer, and rabbits, and racoons, but unfortunately they've all moved on or died because there's no water anywhere else but here."

"That sucks, but at least you have water. It's bad out there. We almost died. If you didn't let us stay, we would've been dead by now" Kaleb said, taking a moment to stand and stretch his back. "Thanks for letting us stay."

"No problem little man" Double A said, sticking out his hand for Kaleb to shake, "my name is Double A"

Kaleb shook Double A's hand. "My dad said Double A is in charge of this place. I'm surprised you're out here in the fields. How'd you get that name? Sounds like batteries."

"You sure say what's on your mind, don't you?" Double A asked, unable to hide his amusement at the boy's bluntness.

"Sorry" Kaleb said, "my dad taught me to speak my mind."

"I see that. Your dad is the leader right? Rick?"

"Yea"

"Is the woman with the dreads your mom?"

"Yea she is" Kaleb said. "And my brother and sister are here too."

"What's your name?" Double A asked.

"Kaleb Andre Grimes" Kaleb said proudly, realizing he'd never had an opportunity to introduce himself to anyone. Everyone in Alexandria knew who he was, as well as at the Hilltop and the Kingdom. He was the youngest son of the famous Rick Grimes, and those who didn't know him personally, knew of him.

Double A's eyes opened slightly in recognition when Kaleb said his name.

"Nice to meet you Kaleb Andre Grimes. I think we have some things in common, and I have a feeling we're gonna be good friends. But besides that, I think we may need your gardening expertise over here. If your family plans on staying a little while."

"I wouldn't mind" Kaleb said, happy to be needed. "But um, I gotta go now. My dad asked me to be back by midday."

"Yea no problem little man" Double A said, "see you later."

Kaleb turned and began to walk away from Double A when he stopped and looked back. "Is your name really Double A?" Kaleb asked.

Double A laughed at the boy's curiosity, and stood, wiping his dirty hands on his jeans.

"No. It's a nickname my dad came up with for me. He used to say I had so much energy I ran on batteries. But Double A stands for my real name, same as your middle name. Andre Anthony."

 ** _Author's Note:_** ** _Hi everyone! Thank you so much for your readership and sticking with this story, even though I've been unable to update as frequently as I'd like. Please review and tell me what you're thinking, I'd love to hear from you!_**


	6. Chapter 6

Kaleb and Double A stood together by a fence, surveying the tomato plants before them, while residents of WC worked around them.

"The vertical sticks will double the yield of tomatoes per square foot. It will increase how much you can grow in the same amount of space" Kaleb said, gesturing towards the trio of sticks he'd tied together as a demonstration. "Also, you see that branch right there? The one in the shade? If you pinch it off and replant it, it'll grow into a whole new plant."

Double A listened to Kaleb intensely, nodding as the boy spoke. "And your Aunt Maggie taught you all of that?" he asked.

"Yea, most of it. I mean, I was really fascinated with growing stuff when I was little, but as I got older it was just a part of life. Like chores. But I'd rather do garden work than like, be on watch, or clean up after the animals."

"And your dad is okay with you being over here? I've never seen him come over to the fields."

Kaleb looked away guiltily. "Well, I kinda didn't ask him, but I'm pretty sure my mom knows I'm here. She always notices stuff like that. She said she wanted me to get to know some new people here, so I'm doing that."

"Little man, I've gotta say I'm impressed. And, a little embarrassed. You know way more about farming than I do. In the three days y'all have been here you've increased our productivity by half. How old are you anyway?"

"Sixteen" Kaleb said with a proud smirk.

"Well Kaleb, if you stayed here I would definitely make you a manager."

"A manager?"

"Yea, there are managers in charge of all of the vital operations we have here. Security, food distribution, waste management, health, education, law and order, agriculture..."

"So you would make me a manager, just like that?"

"Well not just like that. I mean, there'd be an interview, and a trial period, and a vote, but... I think others would be just as impressed with you as I am."

"Really?" Kaleb asked. "Are you offering me a job?"

"Maybe. If your parents agreed."

"Cool" Kaleb said, nodding.

"I can see you having a great future here. If that's what you want. I know it's only been three days but, you see what it's like here. You see what kind of people we are. We'd be happy to have you, and whoever else from your group would want to stay. The more people we have, the stronger we are. And even if you don't stay, having allies always pays off in the end."

"I'll think about it" Kaleb said.

"Okay. Well, see you later Kaleb" Double A said, and the two of them shook hands. Kaleb turned and headed down the path leading from the fields, while Double A continued to study the plant support that Kaleb had made. Neither of them spotted Carl who had been standing on the other side of the fence, eyebrows furrowed, listening to their conversation intently.

XXXXXXXXX

"Hey honey, how are you feeling?" Michonne asked Judith after entering her tent. Judith was laying on her sleeping bag, which Michonne noticed was positioned directly next to Tony's as if he might come in at any moment and claim it.

Judith didn't answer, but she turned her head slightly towards Michonne's voice. Michonne stood there for a few moments, waiting to see if Judith would answer. When she got no response she asked, "do you want me to leave?"

Judith shook her head and finally turned to face her mother. Her eyes and nose were red and blotchy from crying previously, and tears stained her cheeks. She paused for a moment and took a few fast breaths, her lip trembling.

"I have to pee all the time and I can't poop" Judith blurted out before bursting into tears.

Michonne was taken aback for a few seconds before she exploded in a fit of laughter, barely able to keep her eyes on her indignant daughter.

"It's not funny!" Judith declared, wiping at her eyes.

"I... I know... I just..." Michonne said, trying unsuccessfully to prevent herself from laughing.

"Mom!" Judith said, unable to prevent the sides of her mouth from turning up slightly.

"Oh gosh" Michonne laughed, trying to control herself. "Did you um... did you try to... drink... more water?" She got out before succumbing to another round of giggles.

Judith tilted her head to the right and stared at her mother for a few seconds before bursting into laughter herself. "Thanks a lot Mom" she said sarcastically, pushing herself upwards into a sitting position.

"Sorry, Sorry" Michonne said, wiping her eyes. "Okay time to be serious. You need to drink more water, you're still dehydrated from before. I'll go get some more for you and I'll send Tabby in here to keep you company until I come back."

Judith tilted her head again and gave her mother a knowing look. "I know what you're doing Mom. I know you've been keeping an eye on me, and now you're sending Tabitha to do the same. You're scared to leave me in here by myself. I'm not suicidal. I'm not gonna kill myself."

Judith sighed and scratched the side of her face. "Look, I know what I said. And, I know how I felt when there was no water in the lake. I was ready to do it then. I meant it. But only because I didn't think there was any hope for us. Not because I really wanted to. Now that there's hope of... something more, I'm okay. I'm good. I didn't mean to scare or worry you and dad. I know Tony would be so disappointed if I did that. If I ended everything he worked so hard for. My girls and this baby deserve better than that."

Michonne smiled and placed her hand on her daughter's cheek. "I know you're good, because you're tougher than that. You're braver than that. You're _my_ kid after all" Michonne said proudly. Judith smiled briefly.

"But you need to drink more water. That'll help with your... difficulties. Believe me, I know. Gosh, when _I_ was pregnant..." Michonne began.

"Mom, please. I really don't need to know..." Judith interrupted.

"I remember this one time, I got so blocked up your father had to..."

"Mom!" Judith yelled.

"Okay, okay!" Michonne laughed, "but come take a walk with me and the girls to pick up some more water. It's nice outside, walking will help you get your food moving. Plus, we need to learn more about this place."

Judith reluctantly got to her feet, and Michonne planted a kiss on her daughter's cheek, combing back her hair.

"It'll be okay. The pain won't go away, but you'll learn to make room for it."

Judith nodded briefly and followed Michonne out of the tent, stepping into the sunshine.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Hey, you're Double A right?" Carl asked, approaching the man who had just finished a conversation with two other men from WC. Double A turned around, surprised to see the man who he knew was Kaleb's brother.

"Yea I am" he replied, "and you're Carl, right?"

"Yea. My brother talks about you a lot" Carl said, looking Double A up and down with his one eye. He took in Double A's dirt stained boots, his black jeans that had dirt coating the knees, and his tight t-shirt that concealed considerable muscles underneath. The man was fit, and obviously spent much of his time farming in the fields or doing manual labor. His hands that he placed on his hips were covered in deep callouses.

"Your brother, He's a great kid. Smart too. I think we can learn a lot from him."

"What else are you trying to learn from him?" Carl asked, tilting his head to the right.

"What? What are you talking about?" Double A asked, his brows furrowing in confusion.

"Why are you so interested in him?"

"I just _told_ you" Double A responded, getting frustrated at Carl's accusatory tone.

"Look, you don't know me, so I just want to let you know that as soon as it rains we're going back to our home. He's not staying here, so we don't need you telling him that we are. Or, talking about his future here."

"Hey man, chill out. I'm not trying to do anything, I'm just appreciating the kid."

"Yea, that's fine, just don't get too attached" Carl said.

Double A rolled his eyes and sighed. "Look, I don't mean any harm. I can see your family are good people. I'm good at reading people, that's how I can tell. I'm not trying to overstep any boundaries, he just reminds me of me when I was younger. It's not often that we have new people here, especially people with a story like yours, and you did give us that cow that fed everyone here, so least we can do is share it. I want to invite your family over to dinner tonight at my place."

Carl squinted at Double A and could tell he was being genuine. "Look, I… If you don't have any ill intentions I didn't mean anything, I'm just looking out for my brother."

"I understand. I would've done the same for my sister, I respect that. But anyway, tell Rick and the rest of your family they're invited to come over tonight. I'd love to meet them all."

XXXXXXXXXX

The Grimes family made their way up the steps to Double A's home. Kaleb knocked twice, and they waited nervously. After a few seconds, Double A opened the door with a smile on his face. "Welcome, come in, but please remove your shoes before you do."

The family froze and looked at each other in surprise. "It… was my mom's tradition. She was Japanese. She didn't like us bringing dirt from outside into our home if we could help it."

Akisho smiled. "Sounds like my mom" she said, before kicking her shoes off. The rest of the family followed her, removing their shoes and lining them up neatly in front of the door before making their way past Double A and into the home. As Michonne passed their guest she did a double take, pausing for a second to stare at him. Collin, who was walking behind her, bumped into her, breaking her concentration.

"You okay grandma?" he asked.

"Y-yea" Michonne said, glancing back at Double A again before continuing into the room. After the last person came through the door, Double A shut it and continued into the next room, the family following behind him. They walked into a dining room that was bare except for a large cabinet with fine china, and a magnificently crafted, traditional Japanese dining table, surrounded by cushions with wooden backs on them that rested on the floor.

"Welcome to my home" Double A said, gesturing with his hand. "It's not much, but I'm proud of it."

"It's nice" Rick said, "that table, it's beautiful"

"Thanks, I made it for my mom's birthday two years ago. It took me three months to carve and put together, but she just about had an aneurism when she saw it."

"You made that?" Kaleb asked, his eyes wide.

"Yea, that and the chairs. My dad taught me how to carve."

Judith reached down and ran her fingers over the table's smooth surface. "That's impressive" she said softly.

"Thank you. Well um, have a seat, dinner is almost ready, let me go help Gabrielle before I never hear the end of it."

"Who's Gabrielle?" Rick asked.

Just then, a petite brown skinned woman with an afro rivalling Double A's made her way from the kitchen, with a small infant tied to her back with a strip of fabric. "Hi everybody, I'm Gabrielle" she said pleasantly, "dinner will be served in a minute, but I need my husband's help. He'll be back soon" she said sweetly but clearly not leaving anything up for discussion.

"Grimes family, this is my wife Gabrielle, and my daughter Monique" Double A said, grinning at his wife.

XXXXXXXXXX

Michonne couldn't stop staring at Double A. From the moment she saw him, there was something she couldn't put her finger on. Something was pulling at her heart. She felt like she knew him, her heart knew him, but her brain couldn't figure out how, or where, or when. And she couldn't stop staring at his eyes, so much so that he caught her staring a few times. Rick noticed as well.

"Are you alright?" Rick asked her, placing his hand on her knee as they sat on the cushions that were placed on the floor next to the low table.

Michonne could only nod, but she'd barely touched her food. Who did this man remind her of? Why was she so uncomfortable? It was like the answer was balancing on the tip of her memory, but she couldn't knock it free.

"So, tell me about your town" Double A said to everyone before biting into his food. "What happened to it? We haven't met anyone from any large communities before. We usually just get wanderers and nomads who stumble upon us by accident."

"Our community had a few dozen homes. It was a great place to live, we just… we just ran out of water. We couldn't stay. We tried to convince others to leave with us, but they wouldn't, so we just left" Rick explained.

"Do you think your people are still there?" Gabrielle asked.

"Hope not" Carl said. "If they are, they're dying…" he suddenly remembered Akisho's father was still in Alexandria and quickly stopped talking. Akisho looked up at Carl briefly before pushing her food around her plate. Kaleb discreetly reached over and rubbed his thumb against Akisho's hand.

"I hope that's not true" Double A said. "If you survived, maybe others did too."

"Yea" Kaleb agreed, glancing at Akisho.

Michonne, finally able to find her voice after being silent for the majority of the dinner stuttered out "Wh- where are you from?"

"My parents, my sister, and I started this community. We've lived here for years, a little over a decade I think. So, I'd say I'm from here. But, originally, we came here from Georgia, when I was a kid."

"Georgia?" Michonne asked.

"Yea. At least that's what my parents said. I don't really remember…"

"What part?" Michonne asked, cutting Double A off. She felt uncomfortable but she still couldn't understand why. There was something about this man that was pulling her to him.

"What part?" Michonne asked again, staring at Double A.

"Atlanta" Double A said, "or just outside of it. Why?"

Michonne didn't answer, she just stared at Double A in silence, her eyes flicking right to left as she gazed into his eyes. Everyone at the table noticed Michonne's strange behavior.

"We're originally from Atlanta too" Rick volunteered.

"No offense, but you seem really young to be running a town" Carl said in an attempt to draw attention away from his mother, "how did that happen?"

Double A pulled his eyes away from the woman staring at him and back to Carl. "Actually, I'll take that as a compliment, but I've been running WC for a year now, since…" Double A cleared his throat. "I've been in charge for a year, and it's difficult but, we're doing just fine."

"We're doing more than fine" Gabrielle chimed in, rocking a sleeping Monique on her lap as she ate. "He's doing great leading this town, and as you can see, our population is growing."

"How old is the baby?" Judith asked, smiling as she watched the chubby cheeked infant who was sleeping with her thumb in her mouth.

"6 months now" Gabrielle said, looking down at her daughter.

"She's beautiful" Judith complimented.

Michonne pulled her eyes away from Double A long enough to look at the baby. "She is" she confirmed with a smile.

"Thank you. It was a tough delivery, 24 hours, but we made it. She was looking upwards when she was born, so her head got stuck" Gabrielle said, patting the baby's bottom. "Nosy little thing…"

Michonne paled slightly and glanced from the baby to Double A. He looked back at her, confused as to why she was staring at him again. Carl and Rick glanced back and forth between Michonne and Double A. There was an awkward silence before Michonne snapped out of it and cleared her throat. "Do you have a doctor here?" she asked Gabrielle.

"Well yes, she's self-taught, but she's the best we've got. She's delivered five babies so far, and two of her own so, I'd say she's a doctor" Gabrielle responded.

Judith perked up and glanced at Rick and Michonne before turning back to Double A and Gabrielle. "Do you think she could look at me? And my girls?" Judith asked. "I um... I'm four months and... I haven't been checked out yet."

"You're having a baby?" Tabitha asked. She, Selena, and Collin had been quiet throughout the entire dinner as the adults spoke. They were just grateful for a full plate of food, and they happily ate, but Judith's words grabbed her attention.

"Uh... yea Tabby. You and Selena are going to be big sisters" Judith said.

"Really? Congratulations!" Gabrielle said jovially. "Sure, she'd look at you and the kids. Have you and um... I mean... have you picked out names?" she asked, catching herself when she realized that Judith didn't have a partner.

"Um, no. Not yet. I don't know what I'm having. My husband, he thought it was a boy, but we don't know for sure"

"Oh" Gabrielle said, nodding. She understood that Judith's husband was no longer alive. "I'm sorry" she added.

"Yea" Judith said, avoiding her eyes. She glanced over at Tabitha who had stopped eating. Judith reached out and rubbed Tabitha's back.

"I'd like to bring my son to the doctor too. If that's okay" Carl shyly asked Double A. He felt badly about the way he had spoken to him earlier. The man had given them water, food, shelter, and now health care.

"Yes, sure. It's my pleasure. As I partly told Kaleb earlier, we treat people fairly unless they give us a reason not to. We try to make allies here, not enemies. It's worked for us so far."

"Well we appreciate all of it" Rick said. "Thank you for welcoming us into your home."

"Our pleasure" Double A said. "Kaleb has helped our community out already in the few days you've been here. It's the least I could do."

Rick's head snapped to Kaleb. "Has he now?" Rick asked.

Kaleb's eyes got big and he glanced at Rick and then Double A as if he'd been outed. "Your son is a gifted gardener. He's been helping in the fields" Double A said. "He's taught me a thing or two about tomatoes".

Akisho smirked proudly at Kaleb and kicked him under the table. "Yes, he sure is" Rick agreed.

XXXXXXXXXX

Michonne excused herself from the table to use the bathroom that Gabrielle instructed was around a corner and down a hallway. In reality, she just had to get up from the table to gather her thoughts.

 _Why do I feel like I know this man? Why do I feel so drawn to him? He said he was from Atlanta, maybe I knew one of his parents? His eyes, they remind me of… no. It can't be. There's no way. But his daughter, she was born face up, just like him. Just like…_

Michonne didn't even want to say it. She couldn't. Andre was dead. Andre was gone. She couldn't go back to worrying about what ifs, it had almost destroyed her before. She had spent days wandering around the destroyed camp and surrounding area looking for him, looking for his walker body after she'd found his shoes and his jacket, and his blood. She didn't want to believe he was dead at first, but she had to accept it after she hadn't eaten, or drank, or slept for 3 days straight. She'd had to bury him in her heart, even if she couldn't bury him in real life. She'd had to put him away in order for her to function on a day by day basis, but of course doing that had changed her. It had affected her ability to connect with other people, her ability to empathize, and her ability to communicate. She had shut down. After he'd died, the only person she'd spoken to for weeks were her walker pets. Her dead boyfriend and friend were her only counselors and companions as she'd grieved for her son, and the damage done by that had affected her years afterwards. It had traumatized her until Carl had helped her to heal, and then Rick. She didn't know why this man made her think of Andre so much, but she had to stop before she began to backslide.

Michonne closed her eyes in the hallway where she was standing and took a deep breath. She then opened her eyes, preparing herself to turn and go back into the dining room when she spotted a small table a little further down the hallway, with polaroid pictures that were framed. Curious, she made her way to the table, and lifted up one of the frames. There was a picture of a black man and a Japanese woman with their arms around each other, smiling into the camera. The man's face looked soft and full of joy as he held the woman who was leaning back against him, their fingers entwined. This had to be Double A's parents. They seemed happy and in love in the picture.

Michonne put the first picture down and picked up a second. She recognized the same man and woman standing in front of the gift shop that they were eating dinner in now, but there were two children with them. One was a small Hispanic girl around 5 years old, who the woman was carrying in her arms, and the other was an older boy around 12 years old who Michonne knew instantly was Double A. But once again, her blood ran cold, because she was staring at Andre. He was older, he was taller, he was a pre-teen, but it was him. She knew it. She felt it.

Michonne gasped as she gripped the picture, her hands trembling. Within seconds tears poured from her eyes, and she placed both hands on the table for support as the shock of what she saw nearly knocked her over.

 _Andre is Double A. Double A is Andre. My son isn't dead._

Before she could have a second to even process that thought, footsteps at the end of the hallway startled her. She quickly swiped the back of her hand across her eyes to wipe away the tears. Double A was carrying a few dishes towards the kitchen, and her presence in the hallway startled him as well.

"You okay?" he asked, noticing how she was just standing there.

Michonne looked up and met his eyes, and a warmth flowed through her, starting from her chest, and radiating to her head and arms and toes. She wanted to wrap her arms around him. She wanted to hug him, and kiss him, and hold him to her like she used to do every night before he went to bed. She wanted to tell him how much she had dreamed of this moment, how much she had missed him, and how much she loved him. She wanted to…

"Do you have a problem with me?" Double A asked, squinting his eyes slightly. She was staring again.

"What?" Michonne asked, completely taken off guard.

"You've been staring at me since you got here. I was wondering if you had a problem with me?" he asked again.

"I… uh… n-no" Michonne said, her brain was having trouble processing thoughts at that moment. "I'm sorry. You um… you remind me of someone." Double A looked down and saw her clutching one of his family pictures. He looked at her questioningly.

"Y-you have a beautiful family" Michonne stuttered, holding up the picture a little.

"Thank you. So do you" Double A responded. "My dad died when I was 14, and my mother died a year ago. My dad found me when I was very young, and then a few years later, they found my sister, Carmen. We were both orphaned by the outbreak, and my parents never had kids of their own, so we were just a happy hodgepodge of humanity. But uh… my sister died when I was 17."

"I'm sorry" Michonne said, her heart breaking for him.

"It happens. That's how things go, y'know. You lose people you love, but you gain people you love too. Gabrielle and Monique, they're my world. I wouldn't have made it through my mom's death without them."

Michonne nodded and placed the picture back on the table.

"I don't know if this is out of line, but you seem to know a few things about blended families. Your older son and daughter don't look like they're… y'know… yours."

Michonne chuckled slightly. "Yea. Carl and Judith are Rick's children. Kaleb is Rick and mine. But they're all mine, you know?"

"I just want to tell you how amazing Kaleb is. I really admire him. I can tell he must've had a great mom for him to turn out as smart as he is."

Michonne nodded. "Thank you" she said, "and I'm sorry I've been staring at you. It's just… you really look familiar."

"No problem, um, Mrs. Grimes?" Double A asked, not knowing what to call her. He realized he didn't know her name.

"M-Michonne" Michonne stuttered again. "You can call me Michonne."


	7. Chapter 7

Michonne sat in the wagon that their family still used as a look out post, with her katana in her lap, and her elbows on her knees. Although Washington Caverns had its own security detail that kept a look out for Walkers, the Grimes' didn't leave their safety up to just anyone. She had volunteered for first watch because she couldn't sleep, and she really just wanted to be alone with her thoughts. She hadn't had a chance to truly think since she discovered that Andre had been alive all along. She couldn't believe that she had actually eaten dinner with her son and his wife, and her granddaughter. And the most painful realization of it all was that Andre didn't know her anymore.

In all the scenarios of what would happen if she ever happened to see him again, even when she thought he was dead, him not knowing her was something she'd never considered. It hurt more than anything else. Of course he didn't remember her, he was only three. She had changed, and so had he. But how had he survived all of those years? How did he survive the attack on the camp? She'd looked everywhere. She'd done everything she could to find him.

Michonne continued to stare into the dark night, her mind occupied with her thoughts. She couldn't bring herself to tell him at his house. She had gone back to the table and sat down, trying to listen to what was being said. Trying not to stare. Trying to act like her whole world hadn't been turned upside down, but she was barely blinking, and she certainly wasn't fooling Rick and Carl. Judith and Kaleb stared at her at the table as well. Gabrielle asked her twice if she was okay, to the point where Michonne had to make up an excuse that she was getting a migraine.

"Who do I have to kill?" Rick asked, his deep voice startling Michonne and making her instinctively go for her katana.

"Woah" Rick said, raising his hands before climbing up on the wagon beside her. "Sorry, I thought you heard me coming, you always do."

"I guess I was daydreaming" Michonne replied softly, relaxing her grip on her weapon. Rick gave Michonne a concerned look before placing his hand on her shoulder, rubbing her shoulder with his thumb.

"You've been acting strange since dinner. Since you saw Double A. What is it?" he asked, cutting to the chase.

Michonne felt a lump in her throat. She swallowed, but it still didn't go anywhere.

"Did he say somethin'? Do somethin'?" Rick asked, his voice rising in pitch as he got more concerned.

"N-no" Michonne stuttered. She cleared her throat and slowly rubbed her palms down her jeans, but she didn't say anything.

"So, what is it?" Rick asked.

"He… he's…" Michonne's brain wanted to say the words, but her mouth wasn't cooperating. She blinked rapidly, and her mouth opened and closed.

When Rick saw she was having difficulty getting her words out, he placed both hands on her face, and turned her head to face him, looking into her eyes.

"What is it, Michonne?" he asked softly, begging her to speak to him, "what is-".

"He's my son!" Michonne blurted out quickly and all together, as if a dam in her mouth had just broken, and all the words came tumbling out at once. When the words left her mouth, Michonne's eyes widened and her hand rose to cover her mouth. Saying it out loud made it real.

"He's my son" Michonne said again, more slowly this time. "He's… Andre."

Rick continued to stare at Michonne, wondering for a split second if what she was saying was a joke, but he could tell she was dead serious.

"How?" he asked. "Michonne… you told me Andre was…"

"I thought he was. I… I thought he was. I saw blood on his jacket. I found his shoes. I thought I came too late and he… I thought he just got up and walked away." Tears exploded from Michonne's eyes and she let out a moan as she clutched her abdomen, holding herself as she rocked back and forth. "At dinner I saw his picture, from when he was younger, and I just knew. He was alive all this time. He needed me, and I wasn't there, again. I didn't find him. Oh God… I gave up too soon."

Rick placed his gun in its holster and pressed Michonne against his chest. Her head was buried in his chest, and she melted into his arms, sobs shaking her body so hard that it shook him as well. Rick placed a hand against her back, and the other against the back of her neck, slowly rubbing her as she cried.

"You couldn't've known. You did everything you could do with what you knew. Michonne, you did everything you could."

"My baby was still alive, and he grew up without me. I wasn't there for all the milestones in his life. He grew up calling another woman mommy, and it was because I didn't find him. I promised…" Michonne choked up on her words as the scene played through her head. "Before I left, I promised I'd be back soon. I promised him Rick, and I…"

Michonne couldn't finish her sentence, she was crying so hard. Rick didn't know quite what to say. He thought back to when he thought Judith was dead, and how devastated he was. Luckily, he only believed that for a few days because Tyrese and Carol had saved her and reunited them. But he didn't know how he'd react if he thought Judith was dead for twenty years and then suddenly came upon her as an adult. Michonne's despair was justified. He knew the only reason she was able to move past Andre was she honestly believed he died. Knowing Michonne, if she had an inkling he was still alive she would've looked for him for the rest of her life, even until she died.

"It's okay honey" Rick said, continuing to rub her back. "It's okay, let it all out. There you go."

Rick let Michonne cry, knowing she had been holding in all of these emotions since dinner. When the tears slowed down, Rick released Michonne and held her hand. "Does he know?" Rick asked.

"No. He doesn't know me anymore" Michonne said, her voice shaking.

"Are you going to tell him?" Rick asked.

"I don't know" Michonne responded. "I don't know if he wants to know. He seems so happy, the people who raised him did a good job. I don't want to ruin that. I don't want to turn his world upside down like mine was. What if he doesn't want to know me? What if he hates me? I couldn't deal with that. It would be like losing him again."

"I wouldn't tell you what to do Michonne. It's not my place. But… if that were Judith, or Kaleb, I think they would deserve to know that they were loved. That they weren't abandoned and they're not orphans. He deserves to have you as a mother, 'cuz you're a great mother. He deserves to know you. And Kaleb... God, Kaleb deserves to know him. That's his brother."

Michonne shook her head and looked at Rick again. "I don't know where to even begin" she admitted with a shrug.

"Just start from the beginning. Tell him the truth. Tell him what happened. There may be some things he remembers. I'm sure there's some answers you can give him about his past."

"I feel like I've been waiting for this day since the last time I saw him. The day I get to see Andre again. I've asked God for this so many times. And now that it's here, now that I can get up and walk up to his door, and talk to him, and see him, and smell him, and touch him… now I'm chickening out."

"Michonne, there is no handbook for this. I don't know what I'd do if I were in your situation, but I know you'll decide to do what's best because you always do. Just… just sleep on this. You don't have to decide what to do right now."

Michonne nodded and squeezed Rick's hand, turning to look at him with a sad smile. "Okay. I will."

XXXXXXXXXX

The next morning, Carl and Judith took their children to get checked out by Washington Caverns doctor, who resided in the campus' first aid facility. After the visit, Carl stopped by to tell Michonne what was said, while Judith took the three youngsters to eat lunch.

"Dr. Kellman said the kids are healthy, but they're a little shorter than the growth curve for their ages. She said she hasn't come across a kid born after the apocalypse who wasn't. I guess because of the lack of food options and variety and vitamins. She said they need to stay out of the sun for a while because of their sunburns, and drink plenty of water. She sent home some kind of poultice she made that's supposed to soothe their skin, but besides all that they're good."

"That's great" Michonne said nodding, "good to hear. I'm sure Akisho can use some of that, she got pretty burned too. What did she say about Judith?"

"Well, she took Judith's blood pressure and said it was a little high, and told her she needed to drink more water. And then she listened to the baby's heartbeat with a stethoscope. She let us all hear, it was really strong. The little guy seems to be doing just fine in there."

"That's great! Did she find out if it's a boy?" Michonne asked.

"No, but Judith has been calling it him. She said Tony thought it was a boy, so why not?"

"So besides that, Judith and the baby are healthy?" Michonne asked.

"Yea, Dr. Kellman just said she needs to monitor Judith's blood pressure to make sure it stays in a healthy range. She also thought that I was the baby's daddy, which was all sorts of awkward" Carl said with a chuckle.

Michonne smiled briefly, but that smile faded away within seconds. Carl noticed immediately and then squinted his eye. "Mom, what's the matter?" He asked.

Michonne pinched her lips together and looked away for a few seconds. She then sucked in a breath and looked at Carl. "I found Andre" she said.

Carls face went through a quick succession of emotions. Confusion, to recognition, to horror. His eyes widened, his mind immediately thinking she found the decomposed walker body of her dead son.

"He's alive. After... everything" Michonne explained.

"What!?" Carl gasped, his hand flying to his mouth. "How? Where is he?"

"Double A" Michonne said.

Carl's mouth dropped open and hung there for a few seconds. It took him a while to fully process Michonne's words.

"No wonder you were... that explains dinner" he said almost to himself. "Did he miss you? Did... did he tell you what happened to him? How is he alive?" he asked.

"I... haven't told him yet" Michonne said. "I don't know if I should."

"What!?" Carl said loudly. "What do you mean you're not gonna tell him? You have to! He has to know that his mom is here, that you survived too!"

"Carl, he had parents. He had a life that I know nothing about..."

"That's why you have to tell him! You have to find out about him too! You want to, I know you do. I... I know how much you were hurting when I first met you, when you thought he was dead. Now that you know he's alive, how can you not want to know about him?"

"Of course I want to know about him Carl, of course I do. I just..."

"You're just afraid" Carl said, almost as a challenge to Michonne. "You're afraid of telling him."

"I am" Michonne admitted, without a fight.

Carl was stunned into silence for a moment. "He should get to know his mom. If he's a jerk, and he doesn't want to know you, at least it's on him, not on you. Mom, its Andre! Remember when I told you that I hoped Judith and Andre were together somewhere? Well they are now, they're here! Judith was alive, and Andre was too. When does that ever happen? When do we ever get second chances like that?"

Carl crouched down in front of Michonne so that he was eye level with her. "You will never forgive yourself if you don't tell him."

A tear ran down Michonne's cheek. "I know" she replied. "You're right. I know you are. Just, do me a favor?" she asked.

"What?" Carl asked.

"Don't tell Kaleb. Let me tell him, after I speak to Andre."

"Yea, okay" Carl said with a nod. He then smirked. "Now I know why Kaleb and Double A have taken to each other so fast."

"They have?" Michonne asked. She knew her youngest son was spending a lot of time in the fields, but she didn't realize he was hanging out with Double A while there, and she wasn't completely paying attention during dinner.

"Kaleb has been teaching Double A about gardening. I overheard him asking Kaleb to stay here and be a manager. Even if we leave."

Michonne's brow crinkled. "What did Kaleb say?"

"He said he'd think about it. But I told Double A that Kaleb was leaving with us and for him to back off". Michonne was quiet as her mind began to turn.

"I thought he had some nerve asking a kid something like that. Like we're gonna leave Kaleb here to live by himself" Carl said with a scoff. Michonne gave Carl a look. "What?" he asked.

"Not that I don't totally agree with what you just said, but may I remind you of the argument you had with your father at Kaleb's same age, when you insisted you were man enough to get married?" Michonne said with a tilt of her head.

Carl's face reddened. "That was different! I was way more mature than Kaleb is, and I knew what I was doing. We don't know these people. I mean, Andre is your son but... leaving Kaleb behind, here? Would you do that?" He asked.

"No" Michonne said. "No, I would never leave Kaleb behind, but I'll let him think about it for a little while. Let's see what decision he comes to."

Carl shrugged his shoulders and then rubbed his rapidly growing beard. "Wow. I can't believe Double A is Andre. Does dad know? Judith?"

"Your dad knows but Judith doesn't. I never told her about him. And... just... let me see how it goes before I do. Okay?" Michonne asked.

"Yea, of course" Carl said, "your secret is safe with me, remember?"

Michonne smiled and ran her hand down the side of Carl's face. "Yea, I remember" she said with a smile.

Carl stood up and turned to make his way out of Michonne's tent, but he quickly spun around again. "Oh, do me a favor and don't ever tell Collin I got married at sixteen, okay? I did some crazy stuff that I don't want him repeating."

Michonne laughed loudly, showing her still perfectly white teeth.

"Seriously!" Carl said, "sometimes I wonder how you guys slept at night with the crazy stuff I did. I don't think I could handle it if he turned out like me."

"Well, considering Enid had a knack for climbing fences, you'd better keep an eye on him" Michonne laughed. Leave it to Carl to totally improve her mood. She waved goodbye as her eldest son left, and her mind once again turned to her firstborn.

As much as she was terrified and nervous, she was hopeful. Maybe, just maybe, she could get her Andre back.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Michonne hesitated in front of the gift shop steps. Inside, was her long lost son, and she had finally decided to tell him. She hadn't been this nervous since the apocalypse began. Not even while kneeling in front of Negan's bat.

Carl and Rick had both offered to go with her for moral support, but she had decided that it would be best for her to tell Andre one on one. She didn't want him to feel threatened or outnumbered.

She shook out her hands to shake off her nervousness, pushed her shoulders back to give off an air of confidence, and climbed up the stairs. At the top she gave two quick knocks on the door. A few seconds later, Gabrielle answered, carrying Monique in her arms.

"Michonne! Hi!" She said, obviously surprised. "What can I do for you? Is everything okay?"

Michonne eyed Monique who was awake and happily chewing on her pointer finger, and her heart melted. The girl had her father's almond shaped eyes. Her eyes.

She had to physically force herself to look at Gabrielle again.

"Yes, everything is fine. I um... I just wanted to talk to Double A for a moment. If that's okay."

"Yea sure" Gabrielle said, opening the door further, "come on in."

Remembering Double A's mother's rules, Michonne removed her boots and entered the bare entrance way of the house.

"Wait here, I'll go get him" Gabrielle said before turning and disappearing into another room. As soon as Gabrielle was out of sight, Michonne let out a deep breath and began to pace. She had gone through what she would say, over and over in her head. She had played out this conversation with Andre so many times already, but now that she was here, her mind was blank. She'd forgotten everything she had practiced. She had forgotten all the things she'd wanted to say.

 _Get it together Michonne. You've only got one shot here, and he already thinks you're crazy._

She took another breath and stopped pacing just when Double A entered the room.

He had a big smile on his face. A smile that was all Mike's. From the nose down, he was his father's son, and the sudden realization of that sent a pang of recognition through Michonne. But, she couldn't start staring again.

"Hey Michonne, good to see you again" he said, "what can I help you with?"

"Hey, um, I really need to talk to you about something important" she said, choosing her words wisely.

"Yea sure, what is it?" He asked, gesturing for her to sit on one of two chairs that were facing each other in the room while he sat in the other.

"I don't quite know how to say this" Michonne said, blinking rapidly. "I... I know why you looked so familiar."

"Um okay, why?" Double A asked, wrinkling his brow. Michonne fidgeted slightly in her seat.

"I know you, or... I knew you. From before."

"Before?" He asked, tilting his head to the side. "Before what?"

"Before you lived here" Michonne said. She could see Double A was becoming more confused, so she tried to change tactics.

"When all of this first happened, when the dead began walking around, I had a three year old son who I loved very much. The camp that we were staying in got attacked by walkers when I wasn't there, and when I came back, his father was dying and... my son... I thought he was dead."

Double A nodded slightly, not knowing where Michonne was going with this story.

"My son, his name was Andre Anthony."

Double A's brow furrowed more deeply as Michonne gazed at him, her eyes pleading with him to understand. Double A remained silent for a full minute, and Michonne was torn between explaining herself further and letting him sort out his emotions.

"Who told you that name?" He asked. "Did Kaleb tell you?"

"Kaleb?" Michonne asked, confused.

"Did Kaleb tell you what my name is?" He asked again.

"No, I haven't spoken to Kaleb about this. He knows your name?"

"What is this? What are you trying to say? That I'm your long lost son? Is this some kind of joke?" Double A asked, his voice beginning to rise.

"No, this isn't a joke!" Michonne replied. "André, I'm your mother. I had a feeling it was you once I saw you in person, but I knew for sure once I saw that photograph of you. I'm sure you are my son."

"Look Michonne, I don't know what this is, but I need you to leave right now" Double A said, rising to his feet.

"Andre, please, just listen..." Michonne began, but he blew past her and opened the door.

"My name is Double A, and you can leave now" he said, not even looking at her.

Michonne stared at him, not understanding how everything had gone so horribly wrong. Seeing that he wasn't going to change his mind, she slowly got to her feet. She walked towards the door as he stared out of it stoically. Once she reached him, she turned to face him one last time.

"Andre... Double A, I'm telling you the truth. It wasn't easy for me to say this to you, and I can't imagine... I can't imagine what you're going through. But... I just have to tell you..." Tears came to Michonne's eyes as she looked at her grown son, who still refused to look back at her.

"I have to tell you that I've loved you since before you were born. That hasn't changed and it never will. I'm so sorry about everything. I just had to let you know that I love you, Peanut."

When Double A refused to look in her direction, Michonne took the hint and stepped over the threshold onto the porch.

The sound of the door closing behind her broke her heart. She quickly shoved her feet into her boots and made her way down the stairs, the tears already welling up in her eyes so that she could barely see where she was going. She made it to what felt like a tree to her fingertips, before she broke down, her son's rejection cutting deeper than a knife. She sobbed and cried for ten minutes straight, using the tree to block her from view, until she was able to get herself together. She wiped her eyes and cheeks trying to hide the devastation in her heart, and made her way back to the tent she shared with Rick.

Once Double A closed the door on Michonne, he leaned back against it, in shock at what the woman had said. She said she was his mother. His mother! She had to be lying. His mother was dead, she had died a year ago. And the woman who gave birth to him? She had to be dead too. She just had to be. There was no way in this world that things like this happened. People you lost, they didn't come back. At least not like this. He rested the back of his head against the door and it made a thud. She had to have learned his name from Kaleb. She had to. That was it he thought, nodding to himself. She was trying to run some scam on him, but he wasn't going to fall for it. But one thing didn't sit well in his head. There was something that he couldn't write off as a scam. She had said something that made chills go down his spine. She had called him Peanut.

 _ **Author's Note: Thank you for all the reviews and support, it is truly encouraging. I appreciate reader feedback so please keep the reviews coming, and maybe even your predictions of what you think will happen next! I'd love to hear from you!**_

 _ **~can08writer**_


	8. Chapter 8

Michonne and Judith sat outside of the family's tents in the small corner of Washington Caverns that they called their temporary home. Kaleb and Akisho had gone off for a walk. Carl, Rick, Collin and Tabitha had gone out to hunt, allowing Tabitha to test her skills with controlling her daddy's hunting dogs. The women were keeping an eye on Selena who was trying to see how far she could throw rocks, while Michonne sharpened her katana and Judith cleaned the gun that she had inherited from Tony.

While Judith cleaned she kept sneaking glances over at her mother, whose eyes were glazed over as she distractedly rubbed a rock across the blade of her katana. Judith could tell something was troubling her mother. She had always been close to her mom, especially since they were the only females when she was growing up in the testosterone fueled Grimes household. Her mom had taught her everything she knew about being a woman, and she could sense the hurt in Michonne's eyes as she sharpened her weapon. Something had gone down, and she figured it had something to do with Double A. The way Michonne had reacted to the young man at dinner was not normal, and then the day after that Michonne had spent most of the afternoon inside of her tent with Rick.

Her father had told her that Michonne had another migraine and needed to be away from noise and light, but Judith could always tell when her dad was not telling the truth. Judith had asked him what was wrong, and Rick had insisted that Michonne was fine and just needed to lay down for a while. Judith gave her father a break and let Michonne rest, but she knew that there was something they were hiding. That morning, Michonne had once again confirmed to Judith that she was fine, but she was on the verge of tears right now which was in no way normal for Michonne.

"Mom?" Judith called.

Michonne didn't respond as she stared straight ahead, her right arm moving across her katana mindlessly as her brain had a conversation with itself.

"Mom!" Judith called again, and Michonne startled and turned in her direction.

"Yea" Michonne replied to her daughter.

"Mom, what's wrong?" Judith asked, peering at her mother's face, but Michonne was temporarily distracted when she saw Gabrielle making her way over to the two women. Judith turned to see who her mother was gazing at.

"Good morning" Gabrielle said cordially.

"Mornin'" Judith said, looking from Gabrielle to her mother who was silent.

"May I talk to you Michonne?" Gabrielle asked. "Please?"

Judith looked to her mother suspiciously and then back to Gabrielle.

"Uh... yea, okay" Michonne said, discreetly wiping an eye before placing her katana back in its scabbard. Judith stood up too, preparing to go with her mother and Gabrielle.

"No, it's ok" Michonne said to her daughter, "you stay here."

Judith squinted her eyes at her mother and tilted her head, stepping in close to Michonne's ear so that Gabrielle couldn't hear the conversation. "What is it? Why does she want you?" Judith asked.

"I don't know, but it's fine, I'll be back in a few" Michonne reassured her. Michonne walked over to the petite woman who was waiting patiently, her golden brown skin shining in the sun. She was very young, in her late teens if not in her early twenties. Michonne took in the knife she wore at her waist, and the gun strapped on her right side. She looked like she could handle herself.

"Hi" Michonne said with a nod.

"Is it true?" Gabrielle asked softly, peering into Michonne's eyes as if to ascertain the truth. "Are you his mother?"

Michonne nodded slightly. "Yes. I wouldn't lie about something like that."

"I don't really know you. I don't know that" Gabrielle said crossing her arms. "We've had to deal with a lot over the years, and we don't just trust people out of the blue. If you're lying about this... if you open up these doors in him and then we find out..."

"Why would I lie about this?" Michonne asked, her voice raising in pitch. "What do I possibly have to gain from this?"

"Well water is one thing" Gabrielle said quickly.

"Double A was letting us stay whether I said I was his mother or not. There is nothing my family or I will get out of this other than knowing Andre... Double A."

Gabrielle continued to look Michonne up and down while Michonne stared back.

"I have to admit, there is a family resemblance" she said as she visually inspected Michonne.

"How is he?" Michonne asked, the concern in her voice causing Gabrielle to halt her inspection.

"He's... upset" Gabrielle said. "He's trying to figure out your angle, why you'd say what you said. He's trying to come up with ways to not believe you. For a while he considered kicking you and your family out, but I know my husband. He wouldn't put those children in danger."

Gabrielle let out a breath and blinked her eyes rapidly. She gestured to a nearby picnic table that was barely standing due to twenty years of sun, rain, sleet, and snow. Michonne followed her over to it and the two women sat, the table creaking underneath them.

"Does he... does he know you're here?" Michonne asked softly, the news that Andre was just as upset as she was hitting her hard.

"No" Gabrielle said, shaking her head. "I just had to see if it was true. I had to know for me."

"And?" Michonne asked.

Gabrielle ignored her question. "Andre has been through a lot. He is still grieving over his mother. She died a year ago but it's still fresh in his mind. He's just gotten past it, and now you come claiming to possibly be his real mother, and... well he didn't handle it well. It's bringing up a lot of memories for him. Don't take it personally."

"So, you believe me?" Michonne asked Gabrielle.

Gabrielle tilted the side of her mouth as if she were contemplating. "I'd recognize those big ol' eyes anywhere. He does too, even if he doesn't want to admit it. When Monique was born that was the first thing we noticed about her. She had his eyes. Now I know where he got them from. I wouldn't be telling you all of this if I didn't believe you really were his mom."

Michonne let out a deep sigh and she smiled from ear to ear. Her eyes involuntary filled with tears. It felt good that Gabrielle believed her. It gave her hope that Andre would too.

"How did his... his mother die?" Michonne asked, now trying to get as much information as she could.

"It wasn't the dead" Gabrielle clarified. "She was the leader of this community. Everyone looked up to her, followed her without question. She was a great leader" Gabrielle said, wiping a tear from her eye. "In a matter of months that all changed. She started getting very tired, sick. We didn't know what was wrong until she found the lumps. All over her body. It was cancer. It spread so fast we weren't prepared. Within a few weeks she was gone."

Michonne could tell Gabrielle had loved her mother in law deeply. "We had just found out I was pregnant with Monique. I told her... it was the only thing that made her smile. Knowing she had a grandchild."

"I'm sorry" Michonne said softly.

"He went into a deep depression after her death. He's always had separation anxiety, since I met him. He always feels anxious when someone is leaving him, and it took months for him to get to a happy place again. Monique's birth helped a lot. And now I'm afraid..."

"That I'll ruin that" Michonne said, finishing Gabrielle's sentence.

"Yes" Gabrielle said frankly.

"I don't want to ruin that" Michonne said. "I don't want to hurt him. I just want to know my son."

Gabrielle nodded slowly. "I will talk to him. I'll try to ask him to at least hear you out."

"Thank you Gabrielle" Michonne said.

"But let's be clear about something. If you're lying, or you have some kind of hidden agenda, or you hurt my husband or my family, I will kill you Michonne" Gabrielle said, staring directly into Michonne's eyes.

Michonne nodded, proud of the young lady who obviously loved her son and had his best interests at heart.

"Okay, deal" Michonne said, sticking out her hand so that Gabrielle could shake it.

***can08writer***

"It's nice here" Akisho said to Kaleb as they walked hand in hand around the perimeter of WC. They walked past the fields where food was being grown and tended, and the many children who ran about playing games and chatting. "It kind of reminds me of home, except, without the walls. Y'know?" she asked.

"Yea, it is like home, but its not as safe. I haven't seen a Walker since we've been here, but what would they do if a herd shows up? They need walls. I should tell Double A when I see him" Kaleb said, ducking down to squeeze underneath a low hanging branch.

"Is he like your new best friend now?" Akisho asked, looking down at her feet as she walked, a hint of jealously creeping into her voice.

"No…" Kaleb said, scrunching up his face and turning to his girlfriend to study her face. "Double A is just cool. He treats me like a grown up and appreciates me for what I know."

"Yea? Well you've been spending a whole lot of time with him" Akisho commented before kicking a pinecone.

"Just when I'm in the fields" Kaleb said defensively. Akisho didn't say anything more, but she didn't look at Kaleb as they continued to walk. "You can come work in the fields too if you want" Kaleb offered.

Akisho still didn't answer, and Kaleb could tell she was upset, but he didn't understand why. He held her hand tighter and continued to walk.

"So, you _do_ like it here, right?" Kaleb asked Akisho.

"Yea, I mean, obviously its better than being on the road. The people are nice but…" Akisho allowed the end of her sentence to fade off. Kaleb glanced at her again but she looked at the ground in front of her as she walked.

"Double A offered me a job" Kaleb said.

"Doing what?" Akisho mumbled, annoyed that they were once again talking about Double A.

"Being a manager. For agriculture I guess. He wants me to be in charge of how they grow things."

"For how long? We're leaving when it starts raining again. I don't think we'll be here that long Kaleb."

Now it was Kaleb's turn to bite his lip and avoid Akisho's eyes.

"You want to stay" she stated incredulously.

"Maybe. I mean, there isn't much back in Alexandria for us, at least not for a while. Just because it rains doesn't mean its gonna make up for months of drought. If everyone is still there, if they survived this long, one rainstorm is not gonna erase all the damage. Maybe we should stay here a little longer, until things are more settled, you know? I mean, if I stayed here for a while, would you?"

Akisho stopped walking and dropped Kaleb's hand, turning to face him.

" _You_ may not have much back in Alexandria, but _I_ have a family at home. I have to find out what happened to my dad. I want to know what happened to the town. I mean, I don't _want_ to lose you. I want us to be together, but I have to go back to Alexandria and see what's left. I want to show my dad that I could take care of myself. I want to show him I'm a strong girl, even though he never wanted me to be. I know he might not be alive anymore, but I have to know. I… I miss him."

"I know you do, and I want you to find out what happened with your dad. One way or another" Kaleb said.

"Would you stay here? If I didn't?" Akisho asked softly.

"You left your family and your town to travel all the way out here with me. The least I can do is go back with you to look for your dad. I don't think my parents would want me to come back here after, but I might, even if Alexandria is okay. I like it here, and they need me here. In Alexandria I'm just a kid, but here I'm Kaleb. Double A respects me, and I like it."

Akisho sighed. "You know all you've been talking about since we got here? Double A. You've been spending all your time with him while I'm by myself or with your family. _You_ still have family. As of right now, the only one I have left is _you_. I feel like I'm here all by myself. I feel like…" Akisho's voice cracked and she began to cry. Kaleb moved forward to give her a hug, but she stepped away from him.

"I'm sorry" Kaleb quickly apologized. He felt horrible that his girlfriend thought he was abandoning her. Akisho wiped her face quickly and ignored his apology.

"If you moved here for good after taking me back to Alexandria, we'd never see each other" she said softly.

Kaleb fiddled with his hands uncomfortably. "You could live here too. If… if there's nothing back at Alexandria."

"You mean if my dad is dead. If the whole town is dead. Well yea, then I'd _have_ to live here. I'd have no choice. But either way, whether I stay or not, _you're_ gonna stay here."

"I haven't decided yet!"

"But you didn't say no. You wouldn't say no."

"Akisho, I care about you a lot. You have been the best girlfriend ever… well, my only girlfriend… but I don't know how to answer that question. We're arguing about something that isn't even a problem yet. I don't know what I'm going to do. I don't know what I'm going to decide. I'm just trying to see what you think."

"I think if you decide to stay here, don't bother to take me back home. I'll go back without you."

"Akisho!"

"Bye Kaleb" Akisho said, walking away and leaving him staring after her.

***can08writer***

Kaleb found a tree in the shade of the blistering sun and he leaned against it to think about his conversation with Akisho. There was no doubt that the girl felt alone here at Washington Caverns, and he couldn't help but take responsibility for some of that. He had been spending a lot of time in the fields with Double A, but he just wanted to keep busy. It was boring just staying in the tent all day, waiting and hoping for it to rain. At least there he could put his skills to work.

He tried to see things from Akisho's point of view. It had to be scary being in a whole new town with none of her family members, and only her boyfriend and her boyfriend's family to comfort her. And he hadn't even been a good boyfriend lately. He had been leaving her behind, and it wasn't right.

He sighed and rested the back of his head against the tree. He had never had to juggle so many things at once. His future residence, his girlfriend, a job offer…

 _'_ _Is this what it's like to be an adult?' h_ e asked himself. If so, it was stressful.

Double A's voice startled him out of his reflection.

"Hey Kaleb, you okay?" he asked, making a beeline to check on the boy who was leaning against a tree.

"Yea, hey Double A" Kaleb said, reaching out and shaking the man's hand. Double A looked Kaleb up and down silently, almost as if seeing the boy for the first time.

"Are _you_ okay?" Kaleb asked, concerned by Double A's staring.

"Yea" Double A said softly. Kaleb was a little concerned by the way Double A was looking at him, as if he were trying to read his mind. "Uh… Kaleb, did you tell Michonne anything about me?" he asked.

"What? No", Kaleb said suspiciously.

"Not even my name?" Double A asked.

"No, I didn't tell her that. Why?" Kaleb asked, squinting at Double A.

"Did she tell you anything about _me_?" Double A asked, ignoring Kaleb's question.

"What? What do you mean man?" Kaleb asked, getting annoyed that Double A was asking so many questions and answering none.

"I mean... your mom, did she tell you that... that she knew me before all this?" Double A asked, taking a step forward and lowering his voice.

"Um... no. You knew my mom?" Kaleb asked, his eyes widening.

Double A scratched his head confused. If Michonne was running a scam, Kaleb didn't seem to be in on it. But if she was his mother, why did she never mention him to Kaleb?

"Hello? You knew my mom?" Kaleb asked again, becoming annoyed at Double A's lack of answers.

"No. I mean, she says she remembers me."

"From where?" Kaleb asked, trying to think of how Michonne could have known Double A.

"From before."

"Before what?"

"Um... before, when the dead stayed dead" Double A explained, scratching his afroed head. He was still trying to figure out Michonne's intentions.

"Wow, I didn't know you're _that_ old" Kaleb laughed.

"Hey I'm... I'm not! I was a baby when all of that happened, I don't even remember" Double A said, defending himself against Kaleb's jab.

"So you're saying my mom remembers you from when you were a baby?" Kaleb asked, as confused as ever.

"Apparently" Double A said, trying to decide if he should tell the boy what his mother had told him.

"Wow, was she friends with your parents or something?"

Double A stared at the innocent look on Kaleb's face and decided that it wasn't his place to tell him what was going on.

"I um... I'm not sure. Look Kaleb... if I asked you something would you be honest with me?"

"Yea" Kaleb said with a shrug.

"Your mom and dad, can I trust them? I mean, have you ever known them to lie?" Double A asked, leaning forwards to read Kaleb's every emotion.

Kaleb stared at Double A for a moment to assess what the man was really asking. "So, you're asking me if my parents are liars?"

"When you ask it that way, yea", Double A honestly said to Kaleb.

Kaleb squinted his eyes at the older man. "No, they're not liars, but if they _were_ I probably would be one too and you couldn't trust me anyway" Kaleb said as if he were speaking to a child.

Double A looked at Kaleb blankly. "Thanks man" he said in a sarcastic voice.

"No problem" Kaleb said with a shrug. "Now, you gonna tell me what this is _really_ about?"

"Maybe you should ask your mom" Double A said.

"What is going on between you and my mom? The both of you were acting weird before" Kaleb said staring at Double A. "What is happening?"

"Kaleb, just ask your mom" Double A said, turning his back and stalking away, leaving a very confused Kaleb behind.

***can08writer***

Rick, Carl, Collin, and Tabitha had gone on a hunting trip in the morning, looking for any wild game they could find, to start smoking and preserving meat to prepare for their eventual journey back to Alexandria. To everyone's surprise, the group had returned with a buck, the first one seen in the area in months. Collin and Tabitha were smiling ear to ear as they triumphantly showed off their catch. The two of them had worked together as Rick and Carl looked on in complete awe. Carl had spotted the deer, Tabitha had sent the dogs after it, cornering it in, and Collin had taken the final shot. The team work displayed between his grandchildren warmed Rick's heart, and he had given both of them a hearty hug and kiss once the buck had been taken down. Carl had carried Collin on his shoulders all the way back to camp. Once the animal had been skinned and quartered, the family worked together to begin smoking the meat so that it would last.

The sun was beginning to set as Double A approached the area where the Grimes' were cutting up the deer carcass, with butterflies in his stomach. After talking to Gabrielle and Kaleb he could at least accept the possibility that Michonne really might be his mother. He had so many questions. There were so many things he didn't understand that he wanted her to answer.

He had always just assumed that his birth parents were dead. The whole world around him was dead, so it was a logical assumption that they would be too. Never did he believe that this day would come; that he would actually get to talk to the woman who gave birth to him. Gabrielle had told him that she'd gone to Michonne and talked to her to try to figure her out. Gabrielle was a better judge of character than he was, and if Gabrielle believed that Michonne's story held water, then he was willing to give this a shot.

He could see much of the Grimes family was outside, the adults preparing slabs of deer for drying over the fire, while the children were playing fetch with the hunting dogs. Double A felt like he was somehow intruding when he approached the busy family and awkwardly stood there until he was noticed. Rick saw him first and his entire body tensed. The patriarch's brow furrowed accusingly as he squinted in Double A's direction. Rick's eyes then flicked towards his wife who had noticed the visitor a few seconds after he did. Her eyes opened wide and Double A felt a stab in his heart when he saw the pain in her brown irises. He knew he had caused that, and he was sorry.

Michonne had mixed emotions about seeing Double A at her family's campsite. On the one hand she was happy that he wanted to communicate with her. Maybe he even would give her a chance to explain herself. On the other hand, she wasn't sure she could take another rejection from him. She had come back to her tent barely holding in the tears that were on the verge of rupturing from her eyes. As soon as she'd entered the tent she'd collapsed to the floor weeping, and she didn't have to say a word. Rick knew what happened, and he was angry at Double A for it. He was angry that this man had the ability to destroy his wife so thoroughly, and regardless of who he was, if he hurt his wife like that again, the two of them would have a show down. Rick had held Michonne to him and rocked her through the night, keeping his concerned children at bay so that she didn't have to explain to them why her world had fallen apart. And as much as Rick didn't want to dislike the young man that had essentially saved his family's life, he blamed Double A. Carl, who knew what was going on, anxiously looked back and forth between Double A and Michonne, ready to defend his mother if need be.

Double A stepped forward and nodded at the family in greeting. "Um, hi everyone" he said, nervously. "Michonne, may I?" he asked, gesturing for her to talk to him off to the side.

Rick took a step in front of Michonne in a protective gesture, but Michonne placed her hand on his shoulder to calm him. Michonne nodded at Rick and Carl, communicating with them that it was okay, and she nervously followed behind her son. When they'd walked a minute or so in silence, Double A stopped walking and turned towards her.

"I want to apologize. I… I realize I treated you unfairly and didn't let you finish what you were saying. So, if you still want to talk, I'm willing to listen."

Michonne paused, still mesmerized that she was really talking to Andre. The shock of that still hadn't worn off and she was barely listening to what he was saying. She did however understand that he was offering an olive branch. Michonne opened her mouth, but no words came out. She cleared her throat and tried again.

"Ahem…yes, yes I'd like that"

"So, how do you know you're my mom?" he asked. "There's no DNA tests, or… anything like that. Are you sure?"

"I'm sure" Michonne said quickly. "Believe me. I wouldn't… I wouldn't have said anything if I wasn't sure, Andre… I mean, Double A. Just ask me anything, anything that you want to know."

"Why? Why did you and… my father? Do I _have_ a father? How did I end up all alone? What… what happened? Where am I from? What was my life like before?..."

"Okay. Okay" Michonne said, holding up her hands to stop the onslaught of questions that she knew Double A had for her. "I'll start from the beginning, and if you have a question, you just ask it then and there, alright? Is that okay?" Michonne asked.

Double A nodded and crossed his arms, leaning back on a tree and propping his foot up against it as if he were getting comfortable.

Michonne let out a long sigh as if mentally preparing herself for this trip down memory lane. She knew that she was about to dive back into her painful past, and bring up memories that she had tried to suppress for years, but it was worth it. Andre deserved to know it all.

"Your name is Andre Anthony Miller. Twenty three years and 5 months ago, give or take a few months, I gave birth to you at Grady Memorial Hospital in downtown Atlanta. You were seven pounds and 6 ounces, and labor with you took twenty hours because you were born face up. Just like your daughter. By the time I gave birth to you, I was exhausted. I couldn't have pain medication and I was delirious with lack of sleep, but the moment I saw your face…"

Michonne smiled as the memory of seeing her son for the first time flooded her brain. She felt the emotions she'd felt that day. Pride, wonder, and fierce, fierce love.

"I couldn't believe what a beautiful baby you were. Your eyes were wide open, and you just looked back at me, like you knew I was your mother. Like you knew everything would be okay because you were in my arms. And I cried, because you trusted me so much. You trusted me to take care of you. Your father and I, we were so proud to be your parents."

"What was he like?" Andre asked.

"Your father's name was Michael Anthony Miller, and he loved you. He had his faults, but he did love you. And we _didn't_ abandon you Andre. I'm so sorry that was what you thought. I'm so sorry for everything. I went out on a run because our camp was running out of supplies. There was little food left, and I knew if I didn't go there would be nothing for you to eat, and I wouldn't stand for that. Mike, your father, he didn't want me to go. He figured other people should be going on runs. Not his girlfriend. Not him."

Michonne sniffled and wiped a wayward tear from her eye. Andre was staring at her with wide eyes, hanging on her every word.

"The morning of the run we got into an argument, and I told him I was going to do what I had to do so that you could eat. He said I was trying to be some warrior princess and I was going to get killed, and leave you without a mother. Looking back, I realize he was scared for me. He was scared for you too. I think he realized he couldn't protect you if something went down, but I could. Maybe that's why he didn't want me to leave. I don't know. But at the time I just thought he was a jerk. So, I kissed you goodbye, I promised I would be back by lunchtime, and I left you there with your father. In my heart I… I knew he couldn't protect you, but I ignored it. I didn't listen to my instincts. I _hoped_ nothing would happen. But when I came back…"

Michonne turned away from Andre and shook her head, trying to shake away the vision that she was seeing. Andre stared at her, his eyes flicking back and forth, completely enraptured in what she was saying. Finally getting the answers to everything he'd always wondered.

"When I came back, it was over. Everything was gone. The camp was destroyed, and the walkers were just stomping through everything. Everyone who was alive was bitten, dying, or in the process of being eaten. It was sickening, but I ran through it all, and I found your father and Uncle Terry, his best friend. They reeked of weed. Your father was bitten in the back, and Terry was bitten on the shoulder. I begged them to tell me where you were, but by the time I arrived they couldn't talk. I guess they'd lost too much blood. They just grunted and moaned, and cried. I had no sympathy for them, I just thought they were useless. I let them bleed out while I went to look for you. I found your shoes on the edge of camp. One and then the other. It gave me hope that maybe you ran away. And then I found your jacket. It was torn and… it was covered in blood. So much blood, I thought you had bled out and turned, and then just walked away. I knew it was your jacket because when we went to the camp I put your name in all of your clothing because sometimes we did group laundry, and I didn't want your clothes to go to someone else. When I found that jacket I _knew_ you were dead. But I still looked."

A single tear flowed down Double A's face as Michonne relived the horror of what she'd found.

"I couldn't leave you out there" Michonne cried. "I couldn't leave my baby out there wandering around in the dark. Even if you were… even if you were dead I couldn't leave you Andre."

Double A was crying now, completely moved by his mother's words.

"I looked for you for three days nonstop. Day and night. I looked for you until I physically couldn't anymore. I knew you weren't in the area because I looked everywhere, and if I didn't stop I was going to die. It was some type of basic self-preservation that made me stop and eat. And the night that I stopped looking… I cried myself to sleep and hoped that I wouldn't wake up the next day. But I did. And I came back for your father, and your Uncle Terry who to my surprise were still trapped in the tent. I mutilated them and took them with me, to make myself suffer more. I was a monster, Andre, and it took me a long time to heal from all the wounds. I'm glad you never saw me the way that I was. I'm glad I've healed before you met me, because I would be ashamed if you'd seen that me."

"You looked for me?" Double A asked, his voice small and childlike. It was a surprise that such a soft voice was coming from a man his age, but it sounded so much like the Andre Michonne knew. Michonne pressed her hand to her chest and took a step closer to her son.

"Of _course_ I looked for you!" she articulated, her voice shaking with passion. "Andre, of course I did!"

Double A nodded his head, but he looked down at the ground. "I used to wonder what my real parents looked like, what they were like, if they were happy. I didn't understand why… why they left me. It was easier to think they were both dead. I thought maybe they died trying to save me. Or maybe…"

Double A wiped his face on his sleeve and looked at Michonne with watery eyes. "Or maybe it was _my_ fault that they died. I couldn't remember. But sometimes, I had… well, I'm not sure if they were memories or nightmares. They were just sounds, and feelings, and flashes of things. But one thing I remember, one thing that always stayed in my mind, was the feeling of being in the air, like someone was carrying me. And then they dropped me and screamed 'Peanut, run!'. I don't know who or what Peanut is, but the voice sounded so… terrified. I'd always hear that scream before I woke up."

Michonne gasped and put her hand to her mouth. "Peanut. _You're_ Peanut. It's what your father and I called you. It was our nickname for you since the first time we saw you on the ultrasound. That voice… it had to be Mike."

"My father?" Double A asked.

Michonne nodded.

"He was telling me to run" Double A stated.

Michonne nodded again. "He was… I think he was trying to save you" Michonne said, her voice shaking and her mind racing. She had always assumed Mike was so high he didn't do much while their son was torn apart. She was so angry at him when she got back to the camp, she had just presumed he got their son killed. But maybe he'd tried. Maybe he had saved their son. Andre was still alive, and maybe she had Mike to thank for that. Maybe she had gotten it wrong. Mike had been bitten on his back and was bleeding profusely, what if he was trying to shield Andre? What if he'd saved their son's life and she'd just left him to die?

 _Mike, I'm so sorry_ Michonne thought.

"He did. I mean… I don't remember, but he must've, right? I got out of there somehow and I was just a baby."

"Yea" Michonne agreed. "Yea, I think he did. I think he saved you."


	9. Chapter 9

_**Author's note: (Comic Book Spoilers ahead)**_ _ **: I was so excited to hear that at least one of Michonne's daughters are alive in the comics. And I couldn't believe that it matched up so well with my story. I started writing this way before that revelation came out, but I hope and pray that Andre is alive on the show too. That would be amazing, and some fresh, new territory for the show. Dealing with what it's like to re-introduce yourself to your child. Michonne deserves all the happiness in the world, so I would be so glad if she got her son back, especially after them killing off Carl. Maybe it can be Rick, Michonne, Judith and Andre? Who knows. Not like that would ever replace Carl, but I think it would help Michonne to heal more fully from her PTSD which reared its ugly head in episode 8.8 when she tore that Savior apart, and I'm sure it will continue into the second half of season 8.**_

"You said you took him with you. My father, and… and Uncle Terry. You said you mutilated them. What does that mean?" Double A asked, wrapping his arms across his chest, almost hugging himself.

Michonne blinked rapidly and looked down at the ground. She then angled her body away from her son. This was the hardest talk she'd ever had to have in her life. It was much harder than the first time she spoke about what she'd done with Carl. How do you tell your son you tore his father apart? That you wandered through the woods with his dead body for weeks? That you spoke to it? Ate with it? That it protected you, and carried your supplies, and was your only company when you were all alone?

Shame flooded through Michonne. "I'm sorry" she said softly, her voice breaking as she continued to look at the ground.

"He… he was dead" Double A said, as if he were trying to understand. Michonne didn't know if he was asking for confirmation, or telling her that what she did was acceptable because he was dead.

"I…" Michonne began, but a lump in her throat made her stop to swallow. "I cut off his arms so he couldn't scratch me. I cut off his jaw so he couldn't bite me. And I led him and his friend on a chain that I found. I wrapped it around their necks and led them around like dogs. Like… pets. I treated him like an animal because I thought that was what he deserved" Michonne confessed, "and I kept him because I thought that was what I deserved". She was too afraid to look into Andre's eyes, but she accepted whatever emotions he may have. She expected disgust, anger, hatred, all of the feelings that she felt towards her former self. She couldn't look him in the eye, but she was ready to take whatever it was he wanted to dish out.

"You survived all that time by yourself? With… with just them?" he asked, squinting his eyes and leaning in towards her as if he could read her mind.

"Yes. For weeks." Michonne confirmed, nodding her head.

Double A leaned away again and shook his head. Michonne could see him in her peripheral vision and the guilt felt like a weight on her soul. She'd thought she had put her guilt away. Buried it so that it was still there, but it was deep underneath the surface. But all it took was Andre to bring the guilt up from it's grave like a Walker.

' _Now he'll really hate me'_ Michonne thought.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that" Double A said, and Michonne's head shot up towards his in a second. "It must've been hard to go through all of that alone. You thought I was dead, and he was dead, and you didn't have anyone."

Michonne was speechless. She couldn't believe he understood the situation so easily. He didn't blame her. He didn't hate her.

"What I did to him, it wasn't right. He didn't deserve it. Especially now that I know that he did something right. He did something that led to you still being alive. He was your father and he didn't deserve that. Neither did Terry. I was just… I was out of my mind in grief. I lost myself for a long time."

"What made you how you are now?" Double A asked.

"When I was at one of my lowest points, I met a woman named Andrea, and then I met my husband Rick, and Carl. They taught me that it was okay to live and trust people again."

"And you moved on?" he asked, a hint of bitterness in his voice.

"No" Michonne said fiercely, "I never moved on. I just learned to live with the pain of losing you. I learned that I didn't have to be a monster. Carl and Judith taught me that I could be a mom again, and Kaleb was my hope that I could do this right. That I could raise my own child in this world and have it survive. He wasn't a replacement for you, he was… a tribute to you I guess. His middle name is Andre, after you. So that some part of you was still alive in him."

Michonne smiled and looked down at her necklace as if she'd just remembered it was there.

"Do you remember this?" she asked excitedly, holding her M necklace up so Double A could see. He squinted his eyes at the golden M that hung from a chain around her neck. He seemed like he wanted to remember it so badly, but he shook his head. "This necklace, you picked it out for me for Mother's day. It was the first Mothers day present you ever gave me. You told me the M was for mommy, and you were so proud of the present you picked for me. It was the only thing I had left of you, and I never took it off. I would sleep holding on to it. It comforted me. It helped me to remember you, since I had nothing else to remember you by except memories."

Andre thought on Michonne's words and was deeply touched. It was a revelation that his mother had held on to his memory for so long, even after thinking he was dead. He always felt slightly out of place with his family. He loved his parents, and they had loved him deeply, but he knew that he had a past that he knew nothing about, a family that he knew nothing about. Maybe relatives that were still alive somewhere. He felt cheated in some way, that he didn't know anything about himself. And now, to find out that his mother had loved him so deeply, and his brother was named after him, and his father had probably died for him, it was just overwhelming.

"Why didn't you tell Kaleb about me?" Andre asked.

"I didn't… I just… I thought you were dead and I… it just…"

"It didn't matter." Andre said.

"No. Not that. But I didn't want to put that sadness on him. There are so many things that happened to me, to his father, that we never told him, because we didn't have to. We didn't want to burden him with our past. He's lucky to have been born when things were settled, when things were stable. We didn't want him and Judith to have to deal with what Carl had gone through."

"You were protecting him."

"Yea"

"Will you tell him?"

"Of course. I want him to know about you. I want him to know his brother."

When Double A went silent again, Michonne added "I know this is a lot. Are there any other questions you have for me?"

Double A smiled and shook his head. "I have so many. I've thought about this moment so many times and I've always had dozens and dozens of questions, but I can't think of them now."

Michonne smiled and leaned against a tree herself. "I guess it's just a bit of a shock. Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. Can I ask you some questions?"

Double A nodded. "Where were you found? Were you hurt? Did you say anything? What were you like growing up? What were your favorite things to do? What's your favorite color? I want to know all about you. I want to know all the things I missed. How did you meet Gabrielle? How long have you been married? _Where_ did you get…"

"Whoa, hold on!" Double A laughed, "now you sound like me!"

Michonne smiled. "I just… I've missed a lot" Michonne said bashfully.

"Okay I'll tell you everything my parents have told me about when they found me. Actually, my dad found me. He said he was walking down the highway and he just saw me sitting there on the side of the road. I was so still he almost didn't see me, he only noticed me when I moved my head."

"What highway?" Michonne interrupted. She had searched every highway and road near the camp and had never found anything.

"I don't know" Andre said. "He said he spotted me there all by myself. No shoes, no jacket. Just an undershirt and jeans. He said I had blood all over me. He said I wasn't crying or yelling, I was just still like… he said like a baby deer thats only defense was to stay still and hope no one noticed it."

Michonne clasped her hands against her mouth and couldn't help the tears that tumbled from her eyes. Her baby. He was all alone. And God knows what he had been through to get to that highway.

"My dad said he picked me up, he asked me where I'd come from, who I was with, but I just clung to him and closed my eyes. I wouldn't talk, I wouldn't open my eyes, like I didn't want to see what was happening around me. My dad said he didn't know what to do. He had looked around to see if anyone was nearby but there was no one, so he just took me with him. He was barely surviving himself, and he'd never raised a kid before, especially not a traumatized one, but he did what he could. He said I didn't speak for the first four days. He thought I couldn't speak, like something was wrong with me. He told me the first word I said to him was goodnight when he'd tucked me in, and it startled him so much he fell backwards on his butt."

Double A chuckled and Michonne smiled through her tears.

"He sounds like he was a good man" Michonne said.

"He was. A week after he found me he found my mom. They didn't know each other before. We all became a family along the way. Mom always said I was the one that drew her to dad. If he was alone she never would've given him a chance, but there was something unarming about a man taking care of his son. And when she found out he had only found me a week before, she was sold."

Michonne giggled at the familiarity. She could certainly relate to the attractiveness of a man who cared for his children. Especially children who weren't genetically his.

"My mom and dad were good people and they never made me feel like I wasn't theirs, even though I knew I wasn't. I wasn't the easiest kid. I could be defiant sometimes, I ran away once or twice, especially in my tweens. I felt like they babied me too much sometimes and I wanted to be an adult. They were so patient with me. "

Double A looked away from Michonne and his lip began to tremble. "I remember one time I argued with my mom, and I was so angry I… I blurted out she wasn't my real mom anyway, why did she care?" He sniffled.

"She looked like I'd slapped her. Like I physically slapped her. Like I'd crushed her. I'd never seen her look like that before. I knew the moment the words came out my mouth that I wanted to take them back. I felt so guilty for saying that to her. After everything, y'know?"

Michonne nodded. She imagined the hurt that his adoptive mother must've felt. She imagined how much it would hurt if Judith said something like that to her.

"I got better once we found my sister. We found her in a tent, all alone, like I was. When we had her, I felt like I had someone to take care of. Someone to watch out for. She made me feel grown, because she felt safe with me and I wanted to protect her. It didn't work though", Double A said.

"What happened to her?" Michonne asked.

"She got sick. Something we couldn't fix. It was some kind of severe pneumonia. I was there when she died. It was… horrible" he said, shaking his head.

"I'm sorry" Michonne said.

"Yea" he said. "I'm just grateful I got to know her, y'know? She was a great kid." Double A cleared his throat and continued. "So anyway, I met Gabrielle here, at WC. She got here with her grandparents, they passed away. But we've been married for two years. Mom was so happy when we decided to get married. She always said she thought I'd be a bachelor forever. If it were up to her she would've hooked me up with someone years ago. She used to say 'you're young, but life is too short. And I want some grandbabies!'" Double A said with a chuckle, his eyes gazing into the distance as he remembered the fond memories. "My mom, she was my best friend. And my dad saved my life. I was lucky to have great people raise me."

Michonne nodded and smiled. She was grateful to the people who had taken in her little boy.

"Andr… Double A" Michonne said, catching herself.

"Yea?" He asked.

"Would you mind if… can I… can I hug you?" Michonne asked.

"Yea. Sure." He said with a shrug.

Michonne stepped forward slowly, feeling as if she were in a dream. She reached out and wrapped her arms around her son's shoulders. Shoulders she hadn't felt in twenty years. She couldn't help the tears that freely flowed down her cheeks. Her boy. Her Andre. She squeezed him tighter, burying her face into his shoulder, smelling his scent. He didn't smell the same as he did when he was a baby. His shoulders were muscular and strong like the man he was. He smelled like sweat, and dirt from the fields where he worked, but she breathed it in anyway. He was with her. Finally.

"I'm… I'm sorry" Michonne sobbed, "it's just been so long since I got to hold you."

"It's okay" Double A said, patting her on the back. "It's okay Michonne."

He allowed her to hold him for a few minutes more, an occasional tear escaping his eye at how much it meant to her to touch him.

***can08writer***

After talking to Double A, he had gone off to handle responsibilities he had as leader of Washington Caverns. Michonne stayed behind a little longer to reflect on what just happened. She needed a moment to let it sink in that she had just hugged Andre.

As she leaned against a tree, her mind couldn't help but think of Mike. She hadn't spoken to him since after they'd lost their prison home. That was when she had finally stopped punishing herself about Andre's death.

The last time she'd spoken to Mike she had told him that she finally knew why it was worth it to continue in this world. Why it was worth it to fight and not give up, and now, the reasons were right in front of her. Finding Rick and Carl, raising Judith and Kaleb, and now, finding their Peanut.

Michonne closed her eyes and concentrated on Mike.

 _Mike. It's me. I know I haven't spoken to you in a long time. I hope you're okay, wherever you are. I hope you've found peace. I just wanted to let you know that I found our baby. I found Andre. He's grown up, he's a man now, but his face looks so much like you._

 _I wish you could see him. He's so beautiful Mike, and he has a wife, and a baby daughter, Monique. And he's happy and healthy, and most importantly he's alive. I don't know what you did, and I don't know how you did it, but you saved him, I know you did. And I'm so sorry about how I treated you, what I said to you while you were dying in the tent. How I treated you and Terry after... I'm so sorry that I didn't have faith in you, and that I carried so much anger towards you in my heart. It nearly destroyed me._

 _Thank you for returning our son to me. Our Peanut. He remembers you telling him to run. The only thing he remembers about you is you saving his life, but I promise to teach him more. I hope if you couldn't rest before you can rest now, knowing that our family is back together. Before all of this, I loved you, and today I remembered exactly why. Sleep well honey._

When she was done, Michonne opened her eyes and looked up at the sky. She hoped Mike could hear her message to him.

***can08writer***

When Michonne made it back to her family, the sun had set and they were sitting around the campfire sipping vegetable soup from Washington Cavern's gardens. She couldn't help but notice that Kaleb and Akisho weren't sitting next to each other like they usually were.

Rick jumped up when he saw her, and took a step to meet her but she held up her hand that he should stay. He waited as she approached.

"You okay?" Rick asked softly. Michonne shocked him when she broke into a wide smile and placed her hand on his arm.

"Yea. I'm okay" she replied.

Michonne sat down on a log next to Judith, and she passed her mother a bowl of soup.

"Granny, tomorrow can me, you, and Collin go take Peppermint for a ride? He's been bored since we stayed here, he wants to go run. Flame wants to run too" Tabitha begged, hoping that mention of Michonne's horse would convince her grandmother to go.

"It's too dangerous to leave here just to go for a ride Tabby", Michonne said.

"But Peppermint is bored!"

"How about we walk Peppermint and Flame around inside of the community. Okay?" Michonne bargained.

Tabitha stuck out her lip in displeasure but continued to eat her soup.

There were a few moments of silence, when Kaleb broke it with an outburst that sounded like he'd been holding it in for a while. "Okay, since no one else is asking it, Mom what's going on with you and Double A?" Kaleb asked.

The entire family looked up at Kaleb in surprise, and it felt as though all the air had been sucked out of the surrounding area.

"Kaleb!" Rick said, trying to protect Michonne from more emotional stress, but she held up her hand towards Rick again to stop him.

"You two have been acting weird since we got here. At dinner, when you couldn't stop staring at him, and then after dinner you were in your tent all day, and then just now when he asked to talk to you. What is going on? He said to ask you. He said you knew him from before?"

Michonne sighed, and looked from Rick to Carl who were both so tense that their food was long forgotten. Judith was staring at her intensely, as she too was wondering what was going on with her mother.

Michonne knew it was time to speak up, Kaleb and Judith deserved to know the truth.

"Kaleb, I never told you this, but before I met your father I had another family. I had a son. I thought he was dead for a long time, long before you were even born. But… but he's not."

"You had a son?" Judith asked slowly, trying to process the information.

"What does that have to do with Double A?" Kaleb asked, still confused about what she was saying.

"Double A is my son. My son, Andre."

Kaleb tilted his head to the side and squinted his eyes. Michonne couldn't help but notice how much he had Rick's facial expressions.

"You're joking, right?" Kaleb asked, looking to Rick and then Carl as confirmation that this was one big joke.

"Double A is your son?" Judith asked again, still trying to comprehend Michonne's words.

"How does that even happen?" Kaleb asked, shaking his head. "What do you mean… like you had another kid all this time and you never told us? How?"

"I thought he was dead" Michonne said. "He was so young when I lost him, I thought there was no way he could survive. But his parents found him and took care of him when I couldn't. They're why he's alive today."

"I… wait… how?" Kaleb asked. "What?"

"How do you know he's your son?" Judith asked, pulling herself together.

"I know. Judith, you should know a mother never forgets her children's faces." Michonne replied.

"Wait, so he's like my step-brother?" Kaleb asked.

"He's your half-brother" Rick replied.

Kaleb took a pause to think about Rick's words. Michonne watched him nervously. "Cool!" he said, surprising them all.

Michonne smiled at Kaleb's enthusiasm. She thought he'd be angry or upset, but she wasn't expecting excited.

Kaleb turned to look at Carl. "You don't seem too surprised."

"I knew about Andre before, I just didn't know he's still alive." Carl said.

"So I have a half brother that's in charge here" Kaleb said with a proud smirk.

Akisho rolled her eyes and took another spoonful of soup.

"Mom, why didn't you tell me about him? Before all this? You named me after him, right?"

"I did name you after him. But I didn't tell you because I wanted to save you from sadness that you didn't have to experience. I thought he was dead and he was never coming back. I didn't want to burden you with a past that wasn't yours."

Kaleb nodded thoughtfully as he chewed his lip. Judith still looked shocked as she stared at her mother silently. Rick and Carl were looking at Michonne, wondering what gave her the strength to talk about this so openly now, devoid of tears. Her talk with her son must've went better than expected.

"So what happens next?" Judith asked softly. "Is Double A going to come back with us to Alexandria?"

Michonne had been wondering the same thing herself.

"I doubt it" she replied. "He's in charge of this town, these people, he can't just leave. But I want to get to know him and his family more. I have to."

"Double A asked me to stay here" Kaleb admitted, "I think it was before he knew we were brothers. He asked me to think about taking on a job here."

"No." Rick said flat out. Kaleb's brow wrinkled and his nose flared as he looked at his father. "You didn't even let me finish!" He said angrily.

"Rick…" Michonne cut in. She nodded at Kaleb to allow him to continue.

Kaleb glanced over at Akisho who was purposely not giving him eye contact, and playing around in her soup bowl.

"I thought about it, and this could be a new opportunity for me, and for Alexandria too. We can have a new group of allies and people to trade with. So, I've… I've decided to stay here, and open a trade route between Alexandria and WC. But first, I'm gonna make sure Akisho gets back to Alexandria to see about her family."

"You're not staying here" Rick said. "You're only 16 and we barely know these people. You're just a…"

"I'm not a kid, Dad" Kaleb said, his voice getting louder. "Back in Alexandria the rule was once you turn 16 you can control your own life, right? Well I'm taking control. If I stay it'll help you all. We'll all benefit from a trade route, including anyone in Alexandria who's still alive. I can still come to visit. It's not like you'll never see me again."

Akisho put her bowl down on the floor. "Excuse me" she said quickly, before walking away from the campfire. Kaleb watched her closely, as she walked away, wanting to go after her, but this conversation was important for him to have.

"I think if he's thought this out, and he really wants to stay, he should" Carl said, and Kaleb and Rick's eyes both turned to him.

"You did say 16 is the age we can start making decisions for ourselves. Hell, you know what Judith and I did at 16. If Kaleb thinks he's mature enough to do this, I think we should let him. Besides, he has a big brother here watching his back."

Kaleb stared at Carl in disbelief that his brother was actually on his side for him to stay here. Carl had always been overprotective of his little brother, trying to protect and shield him from the world, and for once he was voting for letting him experience it.

Carl continued, "Dad, I know what I said before, but if this is what Kaleb feels he needs to do, I think he should. We've taught him what it means to be responsible, and kind, and safe. Now it's time to let him use what we've taught him. We can always come back here to see him, and Andre will take care of him, I know he will."

Judith nodded as well. "If Kaleb stays, I'll stay too, with the girls. The trip back is too far and dangerous for them to make when there's no guarantee what we'll find when we get back. And… there isn't much for us back there now. This could be a new start for the girls and I, and this baby. And there's a doctor here. I can keep an eye out for Kaleb too."

"I mean, either way I'm gonna come back with you to Alexandria. I have to, for Akisho. But then I'll return here." Kaleb added.

Rick sighed and shook his head. "Maybe it's me. Maybe it makes _me_ feel safer to know you're with us. This is very hard for me. You're my son, my baby, and… I'll think about it."

Kaleb went to open his mouth again, but Michonne shook her head in a way that told him not to press it right now.

Kaleb nodded at his mother, trusting she knew when Rick would or wouldn't be convinced. He'd wait to have this conversation with his father again.

***can08writer***

After Judith had put her girls to bed, she stepped outside of her tent to get some fresh air. She had been thinking about Tony a lot lately, remembering their date nights, and the fun times that they'd had. She missed him greatly, and she slept next to his sleeping bag at night. It still smelled like him, after all this time, and it helped her to get to sleep.

She thought about how Tony would've liked it here at Washington Caverns. This was the kind of refuge he was hoping his family would find at the lake. That was why he chose to not have surgery and continue on the journey even though he was bit. He wanted to make sure they were safe, and now they were.

Judith sat on a log in front of her tent and looked up at the stars. This was what Tony had wanted for them, and she would make sure that their children would have a good life here.

A creak startled Judith and she turned around to see Akisho sitting in the family's wagon on watch, with a shotgun in her lap.

"Sorry" Akisho said softly, realizing Judith forgot she was there.

"No, it's okay. I just… thought I was alone" Judith said.

Akisho nodded and then mumbled under her breath "yea, I know how that feels."

Judith heard what she said, and made her way over to the teen, climbing up next to her so they could share the wagon seat.

"Do you think anyone is even left in Alexandria?" Akisho asked. "I mean, they had to have run out of water a while ago, and there's nowhere for them to go. I mean, my dad he's… he's probably dead. Right?"

"I don't know Akisho" Judith said honestly. "I mean, we never really know unless we know, right? Look at my mom, she thought her son was dead for 20 years and now he's just back. Unless you see a body, there's always a possibility, there's always some hope."

"Do you think I should stay here with Kaleb?" Akisho asked.

"Do you want to stay?" Judith asked her.

"I want to know for sure what happened to my dad. I want to know what happened to my home. I don't know if I could forgive myself if I never came back and he was still alive all this time. But… let's say he is alive, and Alexandria is livable again. I don't know how I'd feel about Kaleb not living there with me. I love him, I really do, but I think we also want different things. Alexandria is my home, but I think he wants to make his home here."

"I can't tell you what to do" Judith said, "I don't even think I know the right answer myself, but all I can say is do what makes your heart happy. Whether that is with Kaleb or not. You're young, you haven't experienced everything that life has to offer yet. You're too young to be putting all of your eggs in Kaleb's basket. He's a great guy, but he's not finished growing into the kind of man he's going to be, and you're not finished growing into the kind of woman you'll be. It's okay if you're not sure if your decisions are right, even when you get older you're never going to be sure. But just know that it is YOUR decision to make."

"But you and Tony, you got married so young too, and it worked out for you. Weren't you scared, putting all your eggs in Tony's basket?" Akisho asked.

Judith chuckled loudly and then snorted, making Akisho burst out into laughter as well.

"Nothing in this world is easy. Being married to Tony wasn't easy either, especially since we were both so young and immature. But do what you feel you have to do, and if it works out, it was the right decision. I got married to Tony at your same age, but when I did I wasn't sure that it was the right decision. I was terrified, especially since my dad wasn't very happy, and my mom told me she thought I was still young. I mean, they were the adults, they would know, right? I thought they were seeing something that I couldn't. I wasn't sure if what I was doing was right, but I knew that if I didn't marry him, I would regret that decision for the rest of my life. So I think, in the end, you have to make the decision you won't regret for the rest of your life."

Akisho rubbed her eye and shook her long straight black hair out of her face. "If I dont go back to Alexandria, I'll regret it for the rest of my life."

"Then that's what you have to do" Judith said, placing her hand on the girl's shoulder.


	10. Chapter 10

Michonne woke up early in the morning. The sun was just beginning to make itself known, and the night chill was still in the air. She and Rick were curled up under a thin blanket in their tent, but half his body was thrown lazily across hers, keeping her warm. His forehead was resting against her cheek, and his chin was propped up on her chest.

She took the opportunity to watch him as he slept, something that she did from time to time. Over the years he'd gained more scars, his hair had gone gray, and the wrinkles under his eyes, on his brow, and frown lines near his mouth had become more pronounced, but he'd never lost his handsomeness. She was attracted to him every time she saw him, and she felt blessed to wake up next to him every day.

The conversation she'd had with Andre had left her in a better place than she'd been in years. She had learned so many things by talking to him, and she had finally put to rest any conflict she'd had with Mike and Terry. But still, she'd woken up with so many things on her mind that she knew she'd never get back to sleep.

Michonne decided to take a walk. When she had much on her mind, exercise always helped her get her thoughts in order. She leaned forward and gently kissed Rick on the forehead before untangling his limbs from her own and rolling out from under the covers.

She got dressed and climbed out of her tent. Carl was on watch, perched on top of the family's wagon and he gave her a wave.

"Going for a walk?" Carl asked, already aware of his mom's habit to exercise when she wanted to think.

"Yea, I'll be back soon" Michonne said.

"Want company?" Carl asked.

Michonne smiled but shook her head. "That's alright. Besides, we need you on watch."

Carl gave Michonne a nod and she pulled her long sleeved button up shirt around herself before turning and walking off. Washington Caverns was still dark in the wooded areas, but in the clearings the sky was a dark blue on one side, and a faint orange on another, heralding the imminent arrival of the approaching sun. Michonne crunched through the grass, the morning dew wetting her boots.

She made her way through the quiet community, walking past the fields and outdoor tents where many of the residents lived, passing the entrance to the caverns, and then the gift shop where she paused for a moment just to watch. Inside, her son, daughter in law, and grand daughter were probably sleeping. She smiled and gave a nod of her head before continuing onward down the road.

She passed a row of small shacks before coming across a clearing in the trees. Here, on the far side of the community, lay a graveyard. She had never noticed it before and she curiously approached the graves that were marked with wooden markers, names and epitaphs engraved on them.

There were around thirty graves in the cemetery, and Michonne strolled past them, casually taking note of the names and epitaphs until a cluster of graves positioned off to the side caught her attention.

She walked over to the grouping and read the first grave marker.

 _Damarion Jones_

 _Father, husband, leader. Always in our hearts._

The next one read:

 _Sakura Jones_

 _Mother, wife, leader. We will always miss you._

And another headstone nearby read:

 _Carmen Jones_

 _Taken away from us too soon. Sleep well our angel._

Once Michonne read the last one she knew for sure. This was Double A's family, his father, mother, and sister.

Overcome with emotions for these people she'd never met, Michonne paused in a moment of silence. When she was done, she looked around the cemetery for anything to put on the graves and found a patch of dandelions. They weren't the prettiest of flowers, but they were all she could find, and she laid two on top of each of the graves.

"Thank you" she said softly. "For raising him. For taking care of him when I couldn't. For making him a man that I could be proud of. For giving him a family. I can't thank you enough for your compassion."

Michonne nodded at the still graves and slowly turned around when she noticed Double A staring at her from the road. She was startled and jumped.

"What- what are you doing here!?" Michonne asked in a high pitched voice.

"I was going for a morning walk" Double A said, slowly walking towards her. "I do that sometimes, to clear my head. Usually I come over here and spend some time with them, y'know?" He asked, motioning towards the graves. He then noticed the dandelions she'd laid there.

"What are you doing here?"

"Same" she replied with a small smile. "It's nice to see we have some things in common. I used to take you for a walk every morning in your stroller before work. You loved it. It calmed you down for the rest of the day."

Double A gave Michonne a smile. "I must remember some of that, morning walks are my favorite."

Michonne gazed into her son's eyes and smiled back.

"I was walking and I noticed the graves, and I realized who they were, so I wanted to thank them" Michonne explained.

Double A's smile grew bigger and he glanced at the grave markers again.

"Thanks for that, Michonne" he said. "I'm sure they would've liked you."

Michonne nodded and took a step back. "I didn't mean to intrude. I'll let you spend some time with them. See you later Andr...Double A" Michonne said, catching herself mid-name and slowly backing away. She turned and then strolled towards the road.

"Michonne?" Double A asked.

She spun back around.

"It's okay if you call me Andre" he said.

She gave him a radiant smile and tried to control the tears that were fighting their way out of her eyes.

She nodded at him again, tilted her head, and said "I'll see you later Andre."

He smiled at her and turned back to the graves as she continued down the road with a pep in her step and a smile on her face.

***can08writer***

Two weeks had passed since Andre and Michonne had begun to bond as mother and son. They were taking things slowly, step by step, but they were trying to reconnect the bond that they'd once had. The Grimes family had had a few more dinners over at the Jones' house, each one less awkward than the next, and Rick and Michonne also invited Andre's family to their campsite for dinner as well, although it wasn't quite as comfortable as the house.

Andre also stopped collecting cattle from the Grimes' as payment for their stay, seeing as though they were family now, although Rick insisted on giving payment in terms of working beside Andre, Kaleb, Carl, Collin, and Akisho in the fields.

Michonne joined the community watch patrols, and Judith volunteered her time babysitting for parents that needed a break or were working.

Kaleb was impressing everyone with his leadership abilities in the fields. He took it upon himself to teach those in Washington Caverns how to vertically farm, and Rick could see for himself why Andre was so impressed with the boy. Rick and Carl were both proud to work beside Kaleb.

Tabitha was going out hunting with Rick, Collin, and the hunting dogs every few days to try to find game to smoke and store for the journey back to Alexandria. It had been so long without rain now that the pickings were slim, but they did manage to hunt down a raccoon and an opossum. Tabitha had the dogs surround the prey using the commands Tony had taught her, while Collin made the killing shot.

Judith, whose pregnancy was now beginning to show, and Gabrielle were also becoming good friends as they were around the same age and both had young children.

It made Michonne feel good knowing that her family seemed to be happy here, but she couldn't help but notice the change in Akisho. She was keeping to herself much more, barely talking, or going off to be alone. Michonne could tell the relationship between she and Kaleb was becoming strained, and it was amplified by the fact that they couldn't really spend time apart from each other in the current situation. Like many teenage relationships, she figured they would work it out on their own, or they wouldn't.

Almost a month after the family arrived at Washington Caverns, the skies began to gray, and the temperature dropped. The townspeople started a lottery to determine when it would rain, down to the hour. All the adults put something into the lottery, and the winner would take it all. It was mostly food items like potatoes, and celery, the occasional weapon, or necessity item like socks or hats.

The atmosphere in Washington Caverns was electric as the wait began. It was almost a holiday atmosphere as kids ran around pointing at the sky, and adults relaxed outside, talking to their neighbors about the lottery.

Since everyone was outside already, Andre and many others began piling wood up in the middle of town to create a large bonfire. They lit it and everyone gathered in the middle of town to watch the fire, socialize, and have fun.

At 7:45 PM, according to Rick's watch which was the only wrist watch that was still actually working, the rain came. It started off as a drizzle which had the children excitedly screaming and chasing each other around, and escalated into a steady downpour.

As the puddles and mud started to form in the grass, the children began dancing and kicking at the mud puddles. The adults who were just as happy as the children and not even trying to hide it, also chased each other around the mud, until it turned into a full out mud party.

Judith and Michonne laughed hysterically as Rick, Carl, Kaleb, and Collin took their shirts off and went sliding through the mud on their stomachs. Michonne was shocked that Rick still had it in him to roll around with the boys, and she knew he'd be hurting tomorrow, but even he wanted in on the fun. Rick picked up Collin and playfully threw him into a puddle as the boy screamed and laughed at his grandfather. Collin then picked up a wad of mud and threw it at Kaleb, who responded with another wad of mud, and a mudball fight began.

Judith, seeing how her daughters wanted to get in the mud too, helped them take off their outer clothes which they didn't have many changes of, and they dove into the mud in their underwear.

"C'mon mommy, c'mon grandma! It's fun!" Selena called as she kicked a puddle, splashing the brown water all over her white undershirt.

"It's okay sweetheart, go play with the other children" Judith told her, and not looking back, she grabbed Tabitha's hand and the two of them ran off to join a game of tag in the rain.

Judith and Michonne stood together and smiled as the boys wrestled in the mud, and the girls chased each other in the rain.

"We made it" Judith said, with a smile and a shake of her head. "I can't believe we made it. You all were right from the beginning, about us leaving. About there being no other way. I'm so glad you and dad and Tony dragged me out here. I probably wouldn't be alive if you hadn't."

"I told you I would help you get through this. I told you you'd survive. You're a Grimes, and that's what we do. We don't give up" Michonne responded.

"You think dad is going to let Kaleb stay here?" Judith asked. Michonne's eyes found Kaleb who was grinning from ear to ear, covered in mud and soaking wet. He was the happiest she'd seen him in months. Kaleb called Akisho over to him, and she carefully walked through the mud puddles to join him. He gave her a muddy wet hug and she shrieked and laughed as she tried to get out of his arms.

"I think your dad will want Kaleb to do what is best for him" Michonne said softly. Her eyes then found Andre, who was laughing with Gabrielle and Monique, who were hiding under a large umbrella so they could watch the festivities while staying dry. "That's what every parent wants for their children."

***can08writer***

Two hours later, the rain celebration party was over, but the rain was still coming down in buckets. It was soon very clear that sleeping outside in tents was not going to cut it tonight. The ground was saturated with water that seeped into the bottoms of the tents. Everyone who usually slept in temporary shelter gathered their belongings and brought them into the caves where it was dry.

It was the Grimes' first time entering the actual caverns, and the children looked around nervously at the huge opening in the rocks. Many of the townspeople of WC filed into the cave which was large enough for them all to set up their tents comfortably.

Candles were placed every few feet inside the dark cave, giving it a soft otherworldly glow. It was quite beautiful as the shadows danced off the stalactites and stalagmites.

"Dad, can Akisho and I go look around the cave?" Kaleb asked Rick.

"I don't know if it's safe in here Kaleb" Rick said, glancing around at the dark, expansive cavern. "Ask Andre, he knows if you should be walking around in here."

Kaleb walked over to Andre, with Akisho following behind.

"Hey Andre, Akisho and I wanna see the caves, is that okay?"

Andre looked down at his brother. "Yea little man, just follow the lit path straight ahead, it'll take you down to the underground river where we get our water. Just be careful, the path is a little treacherous and dark. Watch out for your lady" Andre said, smiling at Akisho.

"I don't need him to…" Akisho started.

"Watch out for me" Andre and Kaleb both finished her sentence. It was an ongoing joke between the three of them. Andre would constantly tell Kaleb to watch out for his lady and Akisho would state how much she didn't need anyone to watch her.

"Just make sure you stay where the candles are, the cave is really big back there and there a few different paths, don't get lost."

"Yea, thanks. Let's go Akisho" Kaleb said, and he and Akisho turned and walked down the path that led deeper into the cave.

Silently, the two of them followed the candles down the dimly lit trail. In some spots the cave was wide and open, but in some parts of the trail it was so narrow Kaleb and Akisho had to squeeze together or duck their heads to get through.

"It's amazing in here" Kaleb said, running his hands across the stone walls as he walked. His voice echoed throughout the vaulted ceiling of the cave.

Akisho didn't talk, but she nodded her head distractedly.

"You okay?" Kaleb asked.

Akisho shrugged and continued to walk down the passageway, but after she got a few feet ahead, she stopped and sucked in a breath.

"What is it?" Kaleb asked.

"Look" she said in wonder, pointing ahead of her. Kaleb followed her into a wide cavern and froze right next to her. Straight ahead of them was a larger open cavern, and right in the middle of it was a slowly moving river about 30 feet across. Although they couldn't see much because they were depending on the light of a few candles that barely lit up the large chamber, Kaleb could tell the river traveled much further into the cave. It must've been there for millenia, as it had slowly carved a pathway through the rock. In some places, the rainfall from above dripped through the rock layers and down the stalactites, making a soft tinkling sound that was a soundtrack to the majesty of the cavern.

"It's beautiful" Akisho said. "I've never seen anything like this before."

Kaleb walked up to the river's edge and placed his hand in the cool running water when he spotted a small rowboat tied up on the shore. He turned towards Akisho with a smile.

"Wanna go for a ride?"

***can08writer***

After a few minor accidents between the boat and the cave wall, the teens managed to row the boat a small way down the river, giggling and joking the whole way. They didn't go far because they had to stay near the dim light of the candles. The rest of the cavern was pitch black.

"I think we're boating pretty well" Kaleb said, once they got a safe distance away from the stone walls. "But if I crash up my brother's boat I think he'll kill me."

The smile slowly faded from Akisho's lips, and she looked into the deep black water.

"Are you mad at me?" Kaleb asked, completely confused by Akisho's change in mood.

Akisho said nothing, crossing her arms and staring into the darkness of the cave. Kaleb angled his body towards hers and put his hand on her thigh to get her attention.

"Akisho. Look at me."

Akisho blinked rapidly and turned her head towards Kaleb, but she suddenly let out a sob and moved her hands to her face, hiding her face from him.

Kaleb reached out an arm and wrapped it around Akisho's shoulder, pulling her towards him. She didn't resist, and rested her head on Kaleb's shoulder as she sniffled and cried.

"What is it?" Kaleb asked, using his other arm to gently stroke Akisho's thigh, as her sobs shook both of their bodies.

"I'm sorry" she said softly through her sniffles.

"No. I am" Kaleb said.

"Why?" Akisho asked. "You didn't do anything wrong. I… I know I've been acting… I haven't been the best girlfriend lately."

"I haven't either. I haven't been there for you."

"I've been trying to hide it, I've been trying to act okay, but I'm scared. I'm scared of finding out my dad is dead. That I wasn't there for him, and he died and he never got to know that I made it. And now that it's rained, it means we're going back soon, and I'm gonna know for sure. And… and you're happy here. You've found another brother here, a job, a future… and I feel like I've lost everything. My town, and my family are all probably dead. Everyone that I've ever known except for you."

Akisho wiped her nose with her sleeve. "And I'm happy _for_ you but I just wish… I wish I were happy too. You seem to have something going for you, a whole future planned out, and I don't know who I am and what I'm going to do in the next few days, forget the next few months or years. I feel so selfish being angry about that, but I am."

Kaleb took a few seconds to process Akisho's words. For the first time in weeks she was opening up to him about how she felt, and the fact that she was so lost broke his heart, but he didn't know what to say, or how to comfort her.

"I'm sorry Akisho" Kaleb said gently, tucking some of her hair behind her ear. "I don't really know what to say but, I'm here. When we get back to Alexandria we'll figure it out, okay? We'll see what's going on and we'll deal with everything. I don't want you to worry about that now. We can just be happy that it rained today, and we had fun playing in the mud, and we're on a boat in the middle of a cave. Like, today was awesome. We're just barely adults, we don't have to have it all figured out. We'll just take it as it comes."

Akisho leaned over and wrapped her arms around Kaleb's neck, pressing him to her. "Th- thank you."

Kaleb didn't know what he did to warrant Akisho's thanks, but he accepted her hug gratefully.

"I'll always be here for you. I'm sorry I wasn't here for you for the past few weeks, I was so caught up in me, but I want you to know you're not alone."

"Neither are you" Akisho responded, kissing Kaleb on the cheek.

"Okay, let's go dock the boat before we sink it or something, and change out of these wet clothes before we get sick" Kaleb suggested.

"Okay old man. You sure you're _barely_ an adult?" Akisho joked.

***can08writer***

It rained for two days straight, drenching the water starved soil. The ground was unable to absorb so much water at once, causing flooding. Nothing was dry, and it was pretty miserable living in the cave, but there was good news. Carl had won the rain lottery, and received boxes of goods from the townspeople. It was just enough food and supplies for the family's trip to Alexandria as well as a return trip if necessary. Without the lottery win they'd have to wait a few more weeks to finish replenishing their food stores. When it stopped raining, Rick began packing for the trip home which they had planned for three days later.

He was loading boxes into the back of the wagon when Michonne approached him.

"Hey handsome" Michonne said.

Rick turned around to look at his smirking wife. "Hey gorgeous" he responded. "What're you up to?".

"Uh, Rick... I need to talk to you" Michonne said, getting a little more serious.

"What is it?" Rick asked, climbing down from the wagon and standing in front of her.

"I've been thinking a lot, about the trip back, and Alexandria, and Andre. And…"

"You want to stay" Rick stated, finishing Michonne's sentence.

Michonne mouth hung open, in shock that he took the words out of her mouth.

"How did you…"

"You're my wife, Michonne. I know you. I know how you think. I know that you want to stay here longer with Andre. Why wouldn't you?"

"It's not just that, although Andre is a big part of the reason why I want to stay. But what are we going back to? After all that we did for Alexandria, after all that _you_ did, after everything you sacrificed, they didn't even come out of their houses to say goodbye. They didn't even _care_ that we left. All of our real family is gone. We're all we've got, and we can find a new home here."

"I have to bring Akisho back home. She deserves to know what happened to her dad. And I need to know what happened to Alexandria, just for some closure. If you want to stay here with Judith and the girls it's okay. After we make sure Akisho is safe I'll come back here."

"You... you don't mind? Not living in Alexandria anymore? Leaving our home for good?"

"You're my home. You always have been and you always will be. It doesn't matter what building we're in. It doesn't matter where we are. We should stay together as a family. Kaleb wants to stay, Judith wants to stay, you want to stay. I'm sure Carl will agree too. We can all have a life here. I see that now."

Michonne smiled and leaned into Rick for a kiss.

"Love you" she whispered in his ear, "I'll show you how much tonight."

Rick growled and grabbed a handful of Michonne's behind, his favorite place to hold her. "Why wait?" he asked.

"Because you've forgotten we're old, and having sex in the woods is going to result in you getting cramps in your legs and my knees being sore for a week. I thought you've already learned your lesson from last time?"

Rick leaned in again and kissed Michonne again, drinking her in and roughly biting her lip. "I never learn."

"I see" Michonne said with a wink, and strolled away, leaving Rick to stare at her make her exit.

***can08writer***

Three days later, Rick, Carl, Collin who begged Carl to come, Kaleb, Akisho, and a few residents of Washington Cavern's watch patrol who volunteered to come along, set off for Alexandria. All of Washington Cavern's residents came out to wish them a safe journey.

Andre hugged Kaleb goodbye, and shook Rick and Carl's hands.

"Watch out for your lady" Andre called to Kaleb.

"I will" Kaleb called back.

"I don't need him to watch out for me!" Akisho yelled with a laugh.

"Take care of our little brother" Andre said to Carl.

"Yea, just remember he was mine first" Carl said playfully.

Michonne, Judith, and Judith's daughters were worried, watching part of their family go on a difficult journey that they barely survived the first time, but Michonne reassured them all.

"They'll come back. They're Grimes'" she said confidently. She, Judith, and Andre saw them off, following behind the caravan of horses and wagons for a few miles, until they waved goodbye to the group and headed back to the Caverns.


	11. Chapter 11

The trek home to Alexandria took a week and a few days. Some of the roads they'd taken to get to Washington Caverns had flooded or had thick impenetrable mud and they had to go around. The supplies Carl won in the rain lottery was a life saver. Even though they had enough food for a two way trip, they wisely rationed just in case. They never knew what delays they'd come across on the way back.

When Rick, Carl, Collin, Kaleb, Akisho, and the escorts from Washington Caverns arrived at the gates of Alexandria, they were greeted by an eerie silence. Everyone stayed poised on their horses, listening for any sounds of life. Rick was the first to dismount from his horse. He looked at Akisho who was shaking slightly and nervously biting her lip, before he turned and approached the gate. It was locked so he pounded on the front three times.

The three loud bangs echoed through the streets. The small party waited silently, the only sounds were coming from the impatient horses who occasionally would whinny or stomp their hooves. After a minute or so of silence Rick slowly turned back towards the group, his eyes finding Akisho's.

Akisho hopped off her horse and jogged over to the gate, banging on it herself.

"Dad!" she called loudly. "Dad open the gates!"

When she still didn't get a response, she stalked over to one of the gate support beams, and began to hoist herself up.

"Wait!" Rick called.

Kaleb dismounted his horse and walked towards Akisho.

"I need to get over this fence. I need to see for myself" Akisho said resolutely.

"Wait. You don't know what's over that fence. Let me. I'll open the gate for you" Rick said, motioning for Akisho to let him climb the gate.

"No way dad, if you fall you'll break a hip. I got this" Kaleb said, giving Akisho a quick pat on her shoulder, sticking his foot in a chink in the gate, and pulling himself upwards before anyone had a chance to stop him. Rick stood underneath Kaleb while he was climbing in case he had to break his son's fall, but within a minute or so Kaleb was perched at the top of the gates.

"What do you see?" Akisho yelled from below.

Kaleb stared at the view for a few seconds, turned back to look at Akisho, and then continued onto the other side of the gate without answering.

"Kaleb!" Akisho screamed, pissed that he had ignored her question.

She stuck her foot in the same foothold Kaleb had used, but Rick placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her.

"Wait" he said, "Kaleb will open the gate."

Akisho shook herself from Rick's grasp and started to climb again, when they all heard the rattle of the locks being unhooked. Akisho dashed towards the opening gates and threw herself through as soon as there was a gap.

"Dad!" she screamed, running a few feet from the gate and then skidding to a stop.

Her eyes slowly panned across the houses that were deathly still. In the streets were dead animals. A few dogs, a cow, a couple goats, and a horse that had been tied up by a home and shot in the head. The stink of still rotting flesh permeated the air.

Kaleb came up behind Akisho, who was staring at the scene in horror.

"I can go look for you…" Kaleb began.

"No" she said, shaking her head. "This doesn't mean… He could still… I have to see for myself."

"I'm going with you" Kaleb said. Akisho didn't seem to hear him as she wandered towards her home.

"Kaleb, watch for walkers" Carl called after he dismounted his horse and pulled Collin down from his own.

Kaleb nodded as he jogged after Akisho. The smell became more and more pungent as they moved further into the ghost town, and they found out why as they passed the gazebo.

A group of Alexandrians, about 20, had committed a mass suicide. Men, women, and children had all died from single gunshots to the head. It looked like the children had been shot first, and then the adults had shot themselves.

"Oh my God!" Akisho screamed, clasping her hand over her mouth. Kaleb's mouth dropped open and he shook his head from side to side in disbelief.

"No, no, no" she moaned.

Rick and Carl were a block behind the two and couldn't see what they were looking at, but from the teens' reactions they knew what had happened.

"Collin, stay by the gates with the others" Carl told his son who was walking next to him.

"Dad I can take it" Collin said.

"Do what I said" Carl told him before continuing towards the horror at the gazebo.

Akisho turned her teary eyes to Kaleb. "I can't believe this. Jonah, and Elizabeth, and Ms. Hart…" she said, naming the various corpses on the ground.

Kaleb observed the dead children, some that had obviously been placed next to their parents in a pose to look like they were sleeping. He found Nathan and Brandy, Tabitha's two best friends, in between their parents who were still holding their guns. Kaleb couldn't help but think of what could've happened if his family stayed like everyone else.

Rick and Carl walked up behind the teens and took in the scene quietly.

"I don't see my dad" Akisho said with a sniffle, "he's not here. I have to find him."

She turned around and took off towards her home, Kaleb and the others on her heels.

She burst through her unlocked front door and into her still home.

"Dad?" she called, not expecting an answer but internally praying for one. As she'd anticipated, there was silence. She took a few steps into her kitchen and saw a notebook on the countertop that was open. Ignoring it, she thundered up the stairs and noticed all the upstairs bedroom doors were open except for the one to her father's room.

Akisho paused, suddenly losing her nerve. She had been wondering her father's fate for months and now that she was about to know for sure she was terrified.

Kaleb slowly walked up the steps behind her and stood next to her as she stared at the closed door.

"I can do it for you" he offered.

Akisho's lip trembled but she shook her head.

"No. I have to show him I'm brave" she said.

Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the bedroom door. When she heard no response, walker or otherwise, she turned the unlocked handle.

The door creaked open and revealed the extremely tidy bedroom. The window had been left open, letting fresh air and light into the room. Nothing was out of place. As Akisho pushed the door open further to reveal the bed, her worst nightmare was confirmed.

Her father lay dead on top of the covers, with a self inflicted gunshot to the head. He was dressed in his best clothes, a pair of slacks and a white button up shirt. He was wearing all the jewelry her family owned, including a gold bracelet that belonged to her mother. And clutched in his left hand was a teddy bear she'd owned since she was a baby.

Tears sprang to Akisho's eyes and she collapsed to the ground sobbing.

"Daddy!" She cried, "daddy!"

Kaleb knelt down and wrapped his arms around his girlfriend, one hand on her head, the other on her back. He just let her weep.

Kaleb could hear Carl and Rick walking around the house underneath them, but he held Akisho tightly for minutes until she got a hold of herself.

Slowly she pulled herself to her feet and stumbled closer to her father, staring at his dried, decomposing face.

"He's only been dead for a few weeks" she said softly, wiping her tears from her cheeks. She turned to look at the open window and smiled. "He even left the window open so he wouldn't smell up the place. How considerate dad", she said with a strained chuckle.

She reached out and touched the arm of the teddy bear he was still clutching in his hand.

"I'm sorry" she said, bursting in to tears again. "I'm sorry you died all alone, but I'm here now, and I love you. I'm so sorry."

Rick walked into the room. He stood by the doorway, clasping his hands in front of him and waiting as Akisho grieved. After a few minutes he said "I'm sorry for your loss Akisho. We're checking all the homes for survivors, but we haven't found any. Everyone else, we're putting in the fire. Let us know when we can take him. Take your time."

Akisho gave Rick a small nod.

"Also, there were some diary entries left downstairs. Your dad wrote them. He documented everything that happened in the last few days of Alexandria. He wrote it for you. When you're ready, it's waiting for you on the kitchen counter."

Akisho wiped her cheeks and turned to Rick. "He wrote it for me?" she asked.

"I think he knew you'd come back. I think he wanted to say goodbye" Rick said.

She sniffled again and turned back to her father. "Okay" she said.

***can08writer***

Every house had been searched. Some were completely empty, others had the remains of dead families inside. The group dragged all the bodies out of the houses and burned them in the middle of town. They then had a moment of silence for the town that the Grimes family had called home for so long.

Carl stood silently before the burning fire, his arm wrapped around Collin. He hadn't wanted his son to see the death and decay that was everywhere in the town, but he couldn't prevent it. When Collin had seen them stacking up the bodies near the town's center, his face turned red and tears pooled in his eyes, and Carl knew he was trying his hardest to hold back his emotions. Carl had picked him up and held him, and the boy had burst into tears. Now, as the two of them stood watching the flames, Carl addressed his son.

"It's okay to cry" Carl told him, "it's okay to be sad when people you know die."

"But you, and Grandpa, and Kaleb aren't crying" Collin sniffled, leaning against his father.

"I know" Carl said, rubbing Collin's back. "We're sad, and sometimes we cry when we're sad, sometimes we don't. But if you want to cry that's okay. You lost your friends and your neighbors, and people you cared about."

"Did you cry when mom died?" Collin asked, looking up at Carl. Carl looked down at his son and couldn't help recognizing how much Collin looked like Enid.

"I did" Carl said, "I cried a lot. For days."

"Even though _I_ was there?" Collin asked.

"Well, I was so happy you were there, and I was so grateful that you were okay. But I was so sad that I lost your mom. I missed her so much. I still do."

Collin stared at the bonfire thoughtfully, and a silence settled between them for a few minutes.

"Can we go visit her before we leave?" Collin asked.

Carl gave Collin a smile. "Sure we can."

***can08writer***

After all the bodies were burned, Akisho returned to her home by herself and picked up the diary entries her father had left behind. She sat in her father's favorite chair in the living room and smiled when her body completely sunk into it. He had definitely worn out the chair through usage, but the imprint of his body pressed into the chair was something precious now.

As she read about her father's last days in Alexandria she was transported back there with him. He wrote about the shame of having to tell everyone that there was no more water left in the reservoir and their only hope was that it rained in the next day or so or they wouldn't make it. He told about how once they completely ran out of water everything fell apart quickly. No one was on watch, everyone was suffering, and the town was in chaos. He wrote about the mass hysteria, people packing up their families and heading out the gates with no plans, and no water. And finally, the people who went home, enjoyed their last day on Earth, and shot their families and themselves. He spoke of the ring of gunshots in the middle of the night, and the silence that followed, everyone who was still alive pretending that they didn't hear it.

He described to her how every morning he would knock on each door of the homes that he knew people were living in the night before, to keep track of who was alive. Sometimes he'd hear a voice, or someone would open the door and then slam it in his face. Other times there would be silence, or a walker would come, scratching at the door from the inside. Finally, Akisho got to her father's final entry.

 _My dear Akisho,_

 _I'm writing this last entry for you. I know you will come back here and find this. I know because I'm sure you made it. The same resolve that runs in my blood, that kept me alive until now, runs in yours too._

 _It has been three days since I've had my last mouthful of water. Today it took everything I had to get out of bed and knock on the doors around town, but this time no one answered. There's no one left. I'm finally alone._

 _It was horrible watching the suicides and killings in the streets. Sometimes I would hide in the house when people would knock on the door asking me what they should do._

 _I've come to realize I've killed everyone I know. Through my stubbornness, my pride. I should've listened to Rick when he warned us what would happen, I know that now. But who does this realization help? Certainly not me. Certainly not the people who depended on me._

 _I'm so sorry Aki. But the only thing I don't regret is you. I know you're alive somewhere, probably with Rick and his family, and I want you to know I'm so proud of you. You disobeyed me and you got away from here. I am so sorry for trying to stop you from reaching your full potential. I was thinking in the ways of the old world. That parents know best and children should listen. I never told you this, but I've always admired your strength Akisho. You've always been so much stronger than me._

 _I love you. And I'm sorry that I couldn't be the father you deserve. I'm sorry about what I'm about to do, but it's the only way I can regain some of the honor I have left. You are and always will be the best thing I've ever done._

 _I love you,_

 _Papa_

Akisho pulled her feet up in her father's chair, rested her chin on her knees, and clutched his letter to her. He had never been so open with her before, and she had never been so heartbroken. Hearing what he had gone through in his final days was terrible, but she felt a closure that she would've never known had she not come back.

***can08writer***

That night they all slept in Rick and Michonne's house. Someone was always on watch to keep an eye on things, but they had closed the gates and checked the houses. There were no walkers or people around.

Once everyone was settled in, Rick went upstairs to the bedroom he'd shared with Michonne. Although it was dusty, and somewhat stuffy, he smiled at all the great memories he had of this place. Their home. As much as he'd miss it, he realized that this place was just a wooden structure that would eventually fall apart like the world around it. The place where his future lay was with the living people in his life.

He looked around at all the little items that they'd left behind, things they just didn't have space to pack, or things they'd planned to come back for eventually.

Rick walked around the room, grabbing extra clothes for himself and Michonne. He also took treasured pictures of the family, Carl and Judith sitting on the porch in front of the house, he and Michonne holding Kaleb only hours old, and the entire extended family celebrating Rick and Michonne's 10 year anniversary.

He noticed the cat sculpture he'd grabbed for Michonne in the junkyard after the two of them made a deal with Jadis to fight alongside them. It certainly wasn't a necessary object, but he knew it was sentimental for Michonne, and for him too. He placed the cat in a duffel bag, surrounded by the clothing to keep it safe.

When he came back downstairs, Kaleb and Akisho were curled up together in their respective sleeping bags, fast asleep. Rick took a moment to gaze at his youngest son while he slept. Kaleb had been born in this house, he had taken his first steps here, spoken his first words, made his first friends. And Kaleb didn't hesitate to give that all up to go back to Washington Caverns.

Michonne was right when she said there was nothing left for them here. There was nothing here but death and memories.

***can08writer***

Early the next morning they decided to head back to Washington Caverns for good. They gathered anything helpful from the houses, but there wasn't much in terms of food or supplies to take. While everyone else packed what they did find on the wagons, Carl led Collin to the graveyard to visit Enid.

The two of them stood in front of her grave marker in silence. Carl let Collin decide what to do next, seeing as though he'd asked to come see his mother. Collin stood in front of the grave and looked down at his shoe, slowly kicking the dirt with his toe.

After a few minutes of silence, Carl said to Collin "did you want to say something to her?"

Collin blinked a few times and then nodded.

"Go ahead" Carl prodded. He had taken Collin to visit Enid a few times before when Collin was much younger, but after a while he realized he didn't want to keep reminding his son of his mother's death. Carl continued to come to Enid's grave from time to time, but usually without Collin.

"Um… hi mom" Collin began. "Um…" he paused, at a loss for words.

Carl could see Collin was nervous. He had never spoken to Enid before, and it was clear he didn't know what to say.

"Just tell her what's going on. What we're doing. It's okay."

"Uh… we're leaving. We're moving somewhere else. It's nice there. I like it there. Um… there's water, and food, and lots of people. And they're nice. And guess what? Granny's son is there too! And even Tabby and Selena like it there."

Collin sighed and crossed his arms.

"But don't worry. I won't leave you here by yourself forever. I'll come back to visit you when I'm big enough to come by myself. I won't forget about you mom, I promise."

Carl pressed his lips together in an attempt to hold back tears. Collin looked up at Carl, startled to see a tear rolling down his father's face.

"It's okay to cry when you're sad dad" Collin told him, grabbing his hand.

Carl took in a breath and squeezed his son's hand. "I'm not sad, Collin. I'm proud of you. I'm really, really proud of you."

Collin nodded and patted Carl's hand. He then began to pull Carl away from the grave. "C'mon dad, we gotta go now."

Once their supplies were packed up and everyone was waiting outside, Rick slid the gates of Alexandria closed. He scribbled a note on a piece of fabric he'd found in one of the houses.

 _There are survivors. We're at Washington Caverns off exit 29. There's nothing left inside to use._

Rick jammed the note in a chink in the fence, just underneath Alexandria's welcome sign. If anyone from Alexandria or even Hilltop or the Kingdom came looking, at least they'd know there were some people left from Alexandria.

"Let's go home" Rick said to Carl, Collin, Kaleb, and Akisho, turning his horse away from Alexandria for the last time.

The caravan silently moved away from the abandoned town with heavy hearts. Although Akisho didn't find what she'd hoped for, she finally got the closure that she'd needed. Carl felt satisfied that he and Collin had gotten a chance to say a final goodbye to Enid. And although leaving Alexandria for good weighed heavily on Rick, he knew that he had a whole new life waiting for him at Washington Caverns. That was where his home was now. That was where his future was.


End file.
